


Forest of Beasts

by BleachBaby1525



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: AU, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, I Don't Even Know, M/M, Minor Character Death, Multi, Sugamama, Were-Creatures, asahi is a wuss, dadchi, men in animal skins
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-24
Updated: 2020-12-17
Packaged: 2021-02-27 05:15:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 37,427
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22391626
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BleachBaby1525/pseuds/BleachBaby1525
Summary: Cross posted on FF .netKageyama has spent his whole life gazing into the forest without ever knowing why, until one day a fateful encounter changes everything. What happens when humans wander too far into the Forest of Beasts? Read and find out! This is a wereanimal au, multi-pairing fic, but the main pairing is KageyamaXHinata. Side pairing include; AsaNoya, DaiSuga, KuroKen, BokuAka, TsukiYama and more
Relationships: Azumane Asahi/Nishinoya Yuu, Ennoshita Chikara/Tanaka Ryuunosuke, Hinata Shouyou/Kageyama Tobio, Iwaizumi Hajime/Oikawa Tooru, Sawamura Daichi/Sugawara Koushi, Shimizu Kiyoko/Yachi Hitoka, Takeda Ittetsu/Ukai Keishin, Tsukishima Kei/Yamaguchi Tadashi
Comments: 20
Kudos: 79





	1. Prologue pt 1

The mid-day sun was harsh and unforgiving as it beat down on the backs of a small fox family. They'd stayed under the protection of trees for as long as they were able, but now there was naught but the wide-open field between them and their destination.

The family consisted of a mother and her two cubs, one looking to be about a year, the other just a few months old. The eldest of the cubs whimpered softly as every step felt like torture on his abused paws.

"I'm sorry, Shoyo. We can rest later." The mother, Kaname, gently nuzzled her pup, and then looked down at her youngest, Natsu.

"Natsu, dear, are you doing ok?"

"I'm hungry mama… and I'm tired…"

Kaname felt her heart break a little more.

"I know; I'm sorry, baby. But things will be better when we get to our new home, you'll see."

The pups nodded and looked ahead to their destination; The Forest of Beasts. Even at half a day's walk away, the forest was an impressive sight, with great green trees spanning the length of the horizon. It was known far and wide for holding the most condensed population of werefolk ever recorded.

"Mama, tell us about the forest…" Natsu requested.

"Well, it's said that a long time ago there were 6 large clans fighting over control of the forest. The war lasted almost 60 years, until a new generation was born; a generation that wanted to put an end to the bloodshed. The clans were getting smaller and smaller every year, and the battles were even starting to destroy the forest they coveted so much. In light of this, a treaty was struck between 2 of the clans. The other clans eventually joined as well and there's been peace ever since."

Shoyo and Natsu smiled a bit as they imagined their new home, letting the thoughts distract them from the agony in their feet and the sun cooking their fur.

Kaname looked at her pups and slowed to a stop.

"Let's rest for a while," she suggested. No sooner had she spoken did the exhausted pups flop onto the grass in relief. The mother fox chuckled softly and lay down as well, watching as her kits fell asleep in no time.

As she watched over them, she let her mind wander back to before tragedy struck; back to when her mate was alive and their forest teeming with life. They'd led a comfortable life in their little den, the modest forest they lived in providing enough prey and protection for the little family.

But it wasn't meant to last, it would seem. A human colony to the east of them had started to hunt on their lands, and the prey became scarce. Her mate had to start hunting further and further away from the den, until one day, he didn't return.

With two pups and no mate, the young mother grew desperate. Her desperation grew more every night she had to put her kits to bed hungry until she made the fateful decision to leave their den and head north, to the Forest of Beasts.

The journey was arduous, and the destination was risky, but there were no other choices. Kaname only hoped they would be accepted into a clan, or at the very least given a small area to hunt and live. Her life and the lives of her pups were in the hands of fate now and she prayed she hadn't made a mistake.

XXXXXX

Kaname let the pups sleep for a few hours to regain some of their energy. It also gave her time to rest her own weary body, thin and worn down from lack of food. As a mother, her first priority was her children. This meant they always ate before she did, even if it meant she didn't eat at all. But, looking down at their scrawny figures, she didn't regret for even a second giving up her own portions.

The tired mother stood on heavy legs and gently nudged the kits awake.

"Come now, it's time to go." Her voice was soft and encouraging and she hid the pain in her eyes as her precious kits struggled to their feet, tired and starving.

"We're nearly there, my darlings." With a quick lick to the tops of their heads, she started to walk again.

XXXXXXX

Shoyo looked at his mother as they walked, his heart sinking. Her once vibrant fur was dull and matted, and he could see the way her feet dragged more and more with every step.

He knew he didn't look any better, but he'd still had baby fat to burn through, unlike his mother. She was practically skin and bone, and a voice in the back of his mind told him she wouldn't make the journey to the Forest of Beasts.

Shoyo shook his head violently but then regretted it when a wave of nausea washed over him, making him pause in his steps. He heard his mom calling to him and took a deep breath before starting to walk again.

"Sorry, just got a little dizzy is all." He told her. The male fox nuzzled her lightly when he saw the concerned expression on her face and tried to give a reassuring smile. Kaname didn't look entirely convinced, but she didn't press the issue and the fox trio continued on their way.

XXXXXX

The sun was just beginning to sink on the west when Natsu collapsed.

The sound of her tiny body hitting the ground was so soft it nearly went unheard. Shoyo's ears had barely picked up the sound, and when he turned his head to investigate, his little sister wasn't moving.

"Natsu!" The young fox hurried over to his sister. His cry alerted Kaname who was hot on his heels and nudging the little girl desperately.

"Natsu?! Natsu, baby, you've gotta wake up!"

Shoyo started to nudge his sister as well, his heart clenched tight in fear. He could hear her heartbeat, but it was faint and beating too slowly.

"Shoyo, we need to get to the forest as quickly as possible. Do you think you can run?" Kaname looked at her son. The frightened young fox nodded and Kaname picked Natsu up by the scruff of her neck before starting to run. Shoyo was barely a step behind, the stinging in his paws fading to the background in favour of the adrenaline.

Their new speed brought them to the edge of the forest within an hour and it was all they could do to not collapse. They'd stopped only once, just long enough for Natsu to be transferred over to Shoyo.

When they passed the first tree into the cover of leaves, it was all Shoyo could do to keep from collapsing. He set his sister down oh-so-gently at the base of a large oak and looked to his mother, who was barely standing herself.

Kaname dragged herself over to her pup, eyes wide and unsure as her ears tipped forward, seeking desperately for a heartbeat that never came.

The devastation hit like a ton of bricks as she collapsed beside her youngest pup, howling softly in grief. She was joined by her son and the surviving foxes mourned together, Shoyo pressing his side to hers and resting his head atop his little sister.

With heavy hearts and weakened bodies, they fell asleep.

XXXXXXXXXX

The early morning sun peeked through the foliage of the Forest of Beasts, falling on the forms of three foxes, their fur illuminated by the beam of light.

Only one of the foxes stirred, a coldness seeping in against his side and under his head. He lifted his head, his body weak and tired and looked down at the pup he'd kept close. Rigor Mortis had come and gone, leaving her once lively body limp and cold. The pain in his chest reminded him it wasn't a dream and the cold where she'd pressed into him felt like it sunk right into his heart. Maybe it was the tiredness that plagued him, or perhaps the stomach that threatened to eat itself, but it took him a little too long to realize Natsu wasn't the only cold one.

Shoyo turned his head slowly, oh-so-slowly, to look at his mother. His ears confirmed what his eyes were telling him and the young pup threw his head back and cried his agony to the sky.

XXXXXXXXXXXX


	2. Prologue pt 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Meeting Karasuno.

Under the cover of a canopy of leaves, an Arabian wolf picked his way through underbrush and bushes, following the scent of a rabbit. With the permission of his pack leader, the Arabian was out hunting for something to eat and had picked up a faint trail.

Tanaka paused suddenly when a different scent was carried to him on the breeze. He lifted his head from the ground and looked south, inhaling deeply as he tried to identify the new smell.

The wolf frowned and started to make his way south, following the scent towards the edge of their territory. He could see the trees opening up to the field and was starting to think perhaps the smell had been carried in from beyond their territory when he spotted a cluster of red fur.

Tanaka growled softly and crouched down, crawling almost on his belly to go investigate. What he saw though, had him standing back up and staring in pity.

A fox vixen was laying on her belly with her head tucked against the face of a young pup and another pup was curled against her side. The position suggested they'd been mourning the pup and had simply passed away like that.

Shaking his head sadly, the wolf turned to leave but then froze in shock when a soft sound reached his ears. He looked over his shoulder, eyes wide and ears straining- there! It was a heart beat! His eyes zeroed in on the older pup and almost couldn't believe it when there was movement.

Tanaka turned and hurried over, leaning down to give the pup a gentle nudge, his heart racing. A tiny head lifted slowly and bleary eyes looked back up at him.

"Y-You're alive!" He gasped. He couldn't keep the shock out of his voice and felt panic set in when the pups' already weak heartbeat faltered.

"Oh no! No, don't give up little guy! It'll be ok!" Tanaka spared a glance at the other two foxes before carefully grabbing the struggling kit by the scruff and picking him up. Tanaka ran as quickly as he could with the kit, but found he kept tripping over the pups' tail too much, the poor thing being too weak to curl himself up.

"Shit," Tanaka cursed and set the pup down. He was about to break a clan rule but he sent a prayer to the heavens as he shifted that Daichi would understand. Now in human form, Tanaka picked the fox back up and started to run once more.

XXXXXXXX

Back at the den, Daichi was sitting at the entrance to the sleeping quarters which were inside an outcropping of rocks. His position gave him a good view over the rest of the clearing and his pack.

Ennoshita and Kinnoshita were in the practice ring, wrestling around with Narita as their ref, while Yachi and Kiyoko were sitting in 'the pit', the area around their fire pit where they held pack meetings. Noya was up in a tree, lounging precariously along the length of a branch.

The pack leader smiled a bit to himself as he watched over them, but movement in the trees to the south put him and everyone else on guard. The girls stood and hurried up to the sleeping areas while the others all turned to face the incoming threat.

"Human," Daichi said, his ears easily distinguishing the sound of only two feet. The breeze blew in from the south and Daichi took advantage of it and inhaled. His senses in human form were dulled, but-

Before he could announce his thoughts, Tanaka burst into the opening, panting.

"Tanaka, what's the meaning of this?!" Daichi growled and started his way down from the cliff side. Everyone came out from their hidden or defensive positions and started to gather around curiously, Ennoshita rushing to his mates' side.

The bald man looked up at him, eyes wide and worried. Daichi was about to question him again when a second scent floated along to him and he spotted a fluffy red tail hanging from the crook of his pack-mate's arm.

"H-he's dying," Tanaka opened his arms to reveal the tiny fox kit and gasps filtered through the crowd. Daichi recovered first and quickly took the kit.

"He needs water," He announced as he turned on his heels and started to run in the direction of the river. "Noya, go catch a rabbit or something. If he is gonna have any chance at making it, he'll need to eat."

Noya nodded and disappeared into the trees to find something.

Daichi left the safety of the clearing and found himself flanked as Tanaka, Ennoshita, and Narita took their wolf forms and went with him. Kinnoshita stayed behind to guard the den in their absence.

They made it to the river at the north end of their territory and Daichi didn't hesitate, walking right into the stream. Once he was up to his hips, he carefully lowered the precious cargo partially into the water, praying the cold would startle the pup awake long enough for him to drink.

He felt the tiny body jerk in his hands and relief flooded through him when two dull eyes opened.

"C'mon pup," he murmured, carefully turning the scrawny pup over to put his face near the water.

"Have a drink," Daichi encouraged. A moment passed and the wolf began to worry the fox hadn't heard or understood him but a little pink tongue poked out to swipe at the water. It took a little while, but the water seemed to be helping as the pup started drinking more and more with each swipe until he was nearly inhaling it.

"Easy now, you don't want to choke." The pack leader lifted him from the water and patted his back when the kit started coughing.

Kinnoshita, the only member still in animal form, barked to get his attention and Daichi looked to the shore just as a wolverine burst out of the trees, a rabbit clenched in his jaws.

"Excellent, good job Noya. Can you start ripping it into small bites? I doubt this little guy has the strength to handle much." Daichi brought the kit up to his chest and started towards the shore.

Noya dropped the rabbit to the stone shore and started to tear into it, his teeth making easy work of the carcass. Tanaka carefully took the precious cargo from Daichi so the pack leader could sit down. Once he was settled, he reached up and took the kit back and laid him in the crook of his crossed legs.

Everyone gathered around -Noya and Kinnoshita shifting to human- to watch as Daichi grabbed a strip of bloody flesh and brought it to the pups' lips. The pack leader jerked in surprise when he nearly lost a finger to the sharp teeth of the starving fox. There were laughs all around as some tension drained away and Daichi grabbed the next strip.

A noise at their western border by the river caught everyone's attention and they looked over to see a black panther standing there.

"Oh, hello Kuroo." Daichi greeted. The big cat purred in greeting before shifting forms to a black haired human.

"Hey, long time no see." Kuroo waved then lifted a foot, silently asking to cross the invisible but no-less important border between their territories.

"You may enter," Daichi said.

The man grinned and strolled over, curious to see what they were all huddled around.

"Oh my, who's this?" Kuroo looked down at the little pup and frowned a bit.

"He's skin and bones…"

"That's a good question; Tanaka?"

Everyone looked at the bald man, who rubbed the back of his head and sighed. Ennoshita moved to his mates' side and put a hand on his back supportively and Tanaka leaned into the touch.

"I found him at the south-west border, right at the edge. They were barely past the tree line, and any further west would've put them in Nekoma's turf." Tanaka nodded towards Kuroo for emphasis.

"They?" Ennoshita spoke up.

"There were two others… his family… They…" Tanaka looked down at the pup that was starting to fall asleep in Daichi's lap and everyone understood without it being said out loud. Ennoshita slid his arms around his waist and kissed his cheek softly.

"Right, well he's with us now. We haven't turned anyone away before and I see no reason to start now." Daichi's words brought the mood back up a bit and they shared smiles.

Another black panther emerged from the Nekoma border and strolled out lazily, going to Kuroo's side.

"Hey babe," Kuroo smiled and pet the great cats back when it leaned into his leg.

"Hey, Kenma." Daichi smiled at the panther who nodded in response.

"Has anyone gotten the little guys' name yet?" Kuroo asked as he scratched behind his mates' ear, smiling when he started to purr.

"No, not yet. We all shifted form once he was awake enough to eat." Daichi shook his head.

Kuroo nodded in understanding. Communicating between their different forms could be a pain sometimes. Human-to-human or animal-to-animal they can communicate easily, but human-to-animal was one sided. The animal forms could understand but they could not respond. The only exception was between a bonded pair, like himself and Kenma.

"Well he's had water and he ate, so I hope he makes a full recovery." Kuroo said.

"We all do." Daichi pet the fox's dull fur.

The panther king nodded and offered his well wishes before he and his mate disappeared back across the border of the Nekoma territory.

"Ok, let's get him back to the den and warmed up. Only time will tell now."

With that said, everyone but Daichi shifted to their animal forms and headed out.

The next few days were touch and go, but everyone was determined to keep the kit alive and their efforts were paying off. The kit- who'd eventually given his name to Noya- was gaining weight and getting more energy day by day.

Currently, he was sitting with Daichi along the bank of the river, waiting for the group they sent out to come back with supper for the pups.

"So, think you're gonna turn human today?" It was Noya asking as the wolverine plopped down beside him. Hinata shook his head and Noya sighed. Even after almost a week, they'd been unable to coax the poor fox to take human form. Some speculated that perhaps he'd never learned how, while others thought he was just too scared still to let himself be in such a vulnerable state.

"Don't push him, Nishinoya. He'll change when he's ready."

"Doubt it. He's too much of a cry baby."

Hinata turned his head and stuck his tongue out at the one who'd spoken. It was Tsukishima, another fox cub around Hinata's age. The red fox had been excited to learn there was another of his kind in the pack, but Tsuki was mean and snobby and he didn't like him.

"Tsukishima, be nice." Daichi chastised. Tsuki was a different kind of fox –a culpeo to be specific- but the pack leader had hoped his presence would help soothe their newest member. Instead it seemed the two hated one another. Luckily though, Hinata seemed to fit in well with the rest of the pack.

Tsuki scoffed and turned on his heel, walking away.

Daichi sighed but was saved from any further agitation when Ennoshita returned with a weasel, carrying it over. Tsuki was given a bunny, courtesy of Tanaka.

Minus a little bit of help getting through the hide, Hinata was able to eat the weasel unassisted, a huge improvement from his first three days.

The alpha shook his head in exasperation as Hinata managed to somehow get blood not only around his muzzle, but all over his chest, up his front legs, and even on top of his head.

"Alright, bath time." He announced when Hinata finished eating. The pup yelped and took off like a bullet before Daichi had a chance to catch him.

"Hey! Get back here!" Daichi jumped to his feet but the pup was long gone.

"Tanaka! Noya! Catch him!"

The two members took chase but the fox was crafty, dipping and swerving away from reaching hands. Noya growled in annoyance and shifted forms to take chase.

From the western border, Kuroo emerged to witness utter chaos as what seemed like the entirety of the Karasuno clan tried to wrangle a blood streaked pup, several of them in animal form. The panther threw his head back and laughed, catching Daichi's attention, who was one of few in human form.

The wolf leader looked over and huffed but it was Tsuki who spoke.

"Tch. Yuck it up, cat man. I'd like to see you catch the little brat."

Kuroo looked at the culpeo, indignant.

"Is that a challenge?"

Tsuki just smirked at him. Kuroo glanced at Daichi for permission to cross and wasted no time shifting forms and joining the fray when he got a nod.

Tsuki sat back and laughed as he watched. Kuroo was naturally faster and more agile as a feline, but Hinata's size a speed made it all too easy for him to duck between paws and under bellies.

This was the scene Kenma walked into, having come to find his mate. Annoyed, and exhausted just from watching, the panther lay himself down to take a nap.

His eyes had barely closed when he was disrupted by something colliding with his side. He looked over to see a red and orange blob he quickly identified as the pup everyone had been chasing.

Hinata had been so busy looking over his shoulder at his pursuers he'd failed to see ahead of himself and ran head first into the napping panther.

Brown eyes went wide as the pup looked at him and Kenma half expected the fox to run in fear, but he was shocked when Hinata instead trotted to his face and started sniffing him.

Kenma made a perturbed sound and tried to pull his head back, only for the pup to put his paws against his chest so he could still reach.

Everyone burst into laughter as the tiny fox kit started to lick Kenma, who looked horrified.

Daichi was the one who came to his rescue, scooping up the kit and apologizing through his laughter.

The panther gave an annoyed huff, but they all knew it was for show as Kuroo trotted over and nuzzled his mate.

Hinata yawned softly as he woke up, curled against Daichi's side. The pups' lack of fat had left him cold during the night, so the pack had started taking turns letting him bunk with them. It'd been exactly a month since Tanaka had brought him to the pack and he was feeling better than he had in a long time. He'd learned quickly that he wasn't the only non-wolf in the pack.

In fact, there were several other species around. Daichi, Ennoshita, Kinnoshita and Narita were grey wolves and apparently all that remained of the original Karasuno pack. Tanaka was also a wolf, but he was an Arabian wolf, which was different- or so he was told. Then there were the girls, Kiyoko and her mate Yachi. They were both raccoons. Noya of course was a wolverine, which left just himself and Tsuki; A red fox and a Culpeo.

The young fox stood up and stretched out a little before trotting towards the exit.

Hinata hummed cheerfully to himself as he explored their clearing. A smell caught his attention and he started to follow it, not paying attention at all to where he was going.

He was so focused on following the scent he'd found that the border between Karasuno and Nekoma ceased to exist and he didn't snap out of his trance until he walked headfirst into something solid.

Hinata gave a little yip in surprise and looked up, only to see Kenma standing in front of him.

"Oh, hi Kenma!" He chirped excitedly, bouncing around.

"Shoyo, what're you doing in our territory?"

Hinata blinked in confusion then looked around; suddenly he realized he didn't know where he was and didn't recognize his pack's smell.

"….oops."

Kenma leaned down without a word and picked Hinata up by the scruff of the neck. The kit complained loudly, saying that he wasn't a baby, but his protests were ignored as Kenma started towards Karasuno's territory.

When he got there, he crossed the border without worry and made his way towards the den. He may have gotten in trouble any other time, but the squirming cargo between his teeth guaranteed him safe passage.

As he neared the den he started picking up the frantic voices of the kits pack mates as they realized he was missing and he could hear Daichi over it all, organizing a search party. He picked up the pace and stepped into the clearing just as the group was about to disperse. The party consisted of Daichi, Noya, Tanaka, and Ennoshita, all in their respective animal forms.

Noya was the first to spot him.

"Hinata!"

All eyes turned to the panther and the fox in his grip, Daichi and a few others hurrying over.

"Hinata, where were you?!" Ennoshita asked, ready to unleash a tongue lashing on the pup as Kenma set him down.

"He was following a scent and wandered into Nekoma's territory." Kenma explained. Several gasps sounded and Hinata's ears drooped further.

"Thank you so much for bringing him back to us Kenma, and I'm sorry he crossed the border and caused you trouble." Daichi gave a polite bow.

Kenma shook his head dismissing the apology.

"He's only a pup. It's not like he had ill intentions."

"Still, not all clans are that understanding. So thank you."

Kenma nodded at him and turned to go.

"Wait, Kenma!"

The panther paused and looked down as the troublesome fox bounced over to him.

"Come visit again soon, ok?"

"….right." Kenma nodded and disappeared back into the forest.

Hinata grinned and watched him go, tail wagging. Well, until he felt the ominous aura of his pack leader behind him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading this far! Now that we've got Karasuno on board, what happens next?? Read the next chapter and find out! Thanks!!


	3. Chapter 1;

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Meeting Kageyama.

Kageyama Tobio knew he was different from his fellow villagers. He'd known for a while. In his 18th year, he was one of many hunters in the steadily growing village he'd been born into. So what made him so different?

It was the forest.

For as long as he could remember, Kageyama had found himself inexplicably drawn to the trees of the forests his people hunted in. The very smell of the rich soil and healthy vegetation pulled to him in a way no one understood, not even he himself. But none pulled to him quite as strongly as the great trees of the Forest of Beasts, a place forbidden to all but the Ukai family.

If one were to measure his life in the hours he'd spent gazing into the distance at the Forest of Beasts, they'd certainly account for a vast majority of the 18 years he'd been alive.

"Oi, Kageyama, let's go."

The dark haired man tore his eyes from the forest and looked for who'd spoken. It was Iwaizumi, one of the best hunters in town. Kageyama sighed and stood from the porch steps of his home where he'd been sitting.

"Right…"

The two males made their way through town, to the city hall. Today, the next successor to the Ukai champion would be named. For as long as his people had been settled here, the Ukai's had been legend. It is said that an Ukai long ago had sealed a pact with the were-creatures of the Forest of Beasts and now it was only one champion chosen from his kin who could safely enter the forest. Every generation or so, the current Ukai champion would chose another male of his family to take his place. The two would venture into the forest together and emerge some days later. In his hands, the new champion would bear a sign of the wolves' favour, and peace would remain.

'If only I'd been born an Ukai,' Kageyama thought to himself as the ceremony begun. The ceremony itself was superficial, but he supposed it gave the villagers something to be a part of, considering the most important parts happened in the forest itself.

A sharp jab in his side pulled his attentions back to the present and he realized he'd zoned out when he noticed everyone lining up to head outside. Kageyama fell in step with the Iwaizumi as the village people escorted the Ukai men to the edge of the village closest to the forest.

Longing filled Kageyama once more as he watched the backs of Ukai senior and his grandson, Keishin, disappear into the forest.

"Come on, Kageyama. The feast will start soon." It was Sugawara who spoke, a village healer.

"Right," Kageyama nodded and let Suga lead the way to the large courtyard in the center of town, where the feast would be held. His mind wandered again, back to the life and the warmth of the forest everyone else feared so much. Their fear, he supposed, wasn't unfounded. After all, none but the Ukai men had ever seen a were-creature and lived to tell the tale.

Well, until him, that is.

XXXXXXX

_It was sunny and warm that day. The clouds that had plagued their little village were but a distant memory now and everyone was outside, soaking in the sun. His mother was scrubbing their clothes in a wash bin while he played with some wooden toys his father had carved._

_At three years old, almost four, he'd mastered the art of walking and was puttering around when something caught his eye._

_Perhaps his mother had been too busy with the stubborn blood stain on his fathers' hunting shirt, but whatever the reason, she didn't notice him wandering away._

_Curious as he was, the young Kageyama followed the movements of a small mouse as it dashed through the grass, into the small forest the village folk hunted in._

_Carefully stepping over roots and ducking below branches, the toddler followed the mouse, only to lose sight of it when it disappeared under a thick bush. With a pout, Kageyama turned to head back to his mother and was shocked to find he couldn't see her. In fact, he couldn't see his village at all, only trees expanding in every direction._

_Maybe he should've been scared, but he wasn't. Maybe he should've cried and called for his mother, but he didn't. Instead, he started to explore, looking around at the giant trees in awe. His adventures were eventually brought to a halt when a stray root tripped him and he scraped his knee._

_Perhaps it was his crying that brought her to him, or perhaps she'd simply come across him by chance. Whatever the case may be, he'd never forget the warm brown eyes he'd spotted peeking at him from inside a bush. He'd never forget the way she crawled out to him, sniffing around cautiously before looking down at his bloodied knee._

_The toddler watched in awe as the fox disappeared, a woman taking its place. The memory of a four year old is only so dependable, so her face was lost to him, but the bright orange hair -like a sunrise on her head- was burned into his mind forever._

_She must have carried him, because the next thing he remembers after that is warmth, and then seeing a glimpse of his village through the trees. He could hear his mother and father's frantic voices calling for him._

_The woman set him down gently before putting a finger to her lips, and then she was gone._

XXXXXXX

After that, Kageyama's desperate parents had run to the Ukai family for help. Ukai had told them their son was lucky to have made it out, and when the infant started to talk about a woman with the sun on her head, Ukai declared it must have been a werefox.

"You're very lucky, young one. You must have encountered a young vixen with cubs of her own. She spared you, but you would not have been so lucky if you'd instead crossed the father. You must be very wary of werefolk, Tobio. They are friends of the Ukai family, but their distrust and dislike of humans makes them a threat to you."

Kageyama nodded and promised to stay away from the forest from then on, but it was a promise he would never keep.

XXXXXXX

"—if there's werefolk in our forest we need to kill them! Drive them away! We can't just let them have our forest! They can go to the Forest of Beasts!"

Kageyama woke to the sound of arguing, slowly sitting up in his bed.

"I vote we find a new forest. Who knows how many of them are in there?"

"If there were that many, they'd have killed our hunters by now. Besides, the forest isn't that big. There's not enough room to hold that many of them."

"He's right. I vote we go in and hunt them down."

"But…."

Kageyama opened his door and looked into the living room where everyone was gathered. It was his mom who'd spoken.

"She saved my son…"

Everyone went quiet, regarding the young mother.

"I know that they're dangerous, but you heard what Ukai said. She saved him. She likely has one of her own..."

"Which is all the more reason to kill them; she may only have one or two now, but those things breed like crazy. If we leave them be, they'll take over!"

He doesn't remember when he started crying, but his mother was the first one at his side, scooping him up.

"Hush my dear. It'll be ok." She rubbed his back and shot a glare over his shoulder.

"There'll be no more talk of this in my home. Leave."

XXXXXXX

The next night, the men put together a hunting group. 6 went in, but only 2 came out. The survivors reported only one werefox that they'd managed to kill, but the fight had lost them four of their own.

Ukai found out about the battle and tore into the hunters.

"You're fools- every last one of you! The werefolk are not a threat you can handle by waving your weapons at them! They are not just dumb beasts- they have the instincts and strengths of an animal with the intelligence of a human! Did you really think you could win?!"

There were arguments and finger pointing, until finally the village leader spoke up.

"That's enough. In light of what's happened, I forbid anyone from hunting the werefolk. We'll be lucky if we can continue to hunt game in that forest without them seeking revenge on us for your foolish actions."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

As the feast began to die down, Kageyama looked around the table he was sitting at. Sugawara and Iwaizumi were there, along with Asahi, a hunter who specialized in tracking, Yamaguchi, another tracker, and Takeda, Keishin's lover.

"It'll be ok, Takeda. The treaty has held strong all these years, so you don't need to worry about Keishin. He'll be fine." Suga said, patting Takeda's shoulder. The older man was visibly worried about his lover who was deep in the Forest of Beasts.

"I-I know, but what if-"

"Don't start with the 'what ifs', Sensei. He'll be fine." Suga said firmly.

Asahi nodded along.

"Besides, old man Ukai is with him too, so it's not like he's alone."

"Yeah…. I guess you're right…"

"Of course we are!" Suga grinned and slapped his back, making Takeda yelp a bit but laugh.

Kageyama observed them all with a neutral expression. Takeda was the teacher at their little two-room school, so it's not that he didn't care about him, but he just knew without a doubt that both Ukai men would return safely. He didn't see why Takeda would waste energy worrying about it.

The festivities dwindled down, everyone making their way to their respective homes.

"I'll see you guys tomorrow," Kageyama said as he stood. Everyone bid him goodnight and he headed home.

"Say, did Kageyama seem a little… off, today?" Suga asked once the dark haired male disappeared.

"He's always been a little 'off'," Yamaguchi said with a chuckle.

"Yeah, but I mean more than usual."

"You've got a point," Iwaizumi said. "He's been off in his own world a lot today; staring at the bloody forest." The dark haired hunter shook his head.

"I'll never understand his insistence about going in… it's just creepy in there if you ask me." Asahi shivered and rubbed his arms.

"Yeah, no doubt," Yamaguchi shivered with him. Sugawara looked at them.

"I don't know if I'd say it's all that creepy, but I also don't understand his obsession with it. The forest itself is pretty; it's what's inside it that concerns me. Werefolk aren't known for their love of mankind."

"You can say that again," Iwaizumi said, remembering his father, whom he'd lost at the claws of a werefox when he was still a boy.

Sugawara grabbed his cup and downed the last of the whiskey in it, before standing. He giggled a bit when he swayed, having had a bit too much. Asahi stood and steadied his friend.

"Easy there, champ. You had like three cups of that stuff. Come on, I'll walk you home."

Sugawara chuckled and leaned into his friend, who just shook his head fondly as they said their goodbyes and left.

Yamaguchi excused himself as well and Iwaizumi watched them all walk away, his thoughts straying to their odd ball friend.

' _It must be the choosing of champions that's got him so distant. Knowing they can go in the forest but he can't…_ ' Iwaizumi sighed and stood, taking himself home as well.

XXXXXXXXXXX

"Keep up; the den isn't far from here. They'll be expecting us."

Keishin nodded and picked up the pace. He'd never been in the forest before, but the stories his grandfather had told him over the years really didn't do it justice. The trees were massive and the foliage rich as they walked along a narrow path that would be easy to miss if you didn't know to look for it.

The trees started to thin out gradually until they opened up in a large clearing. Ahead of them to the left was a sunken area with a fire pit at the centre. Beyond that was a patch of grass that had been worn down to barely anything as though it'd been trampled repeatedly. It reminded him of the training ring in the village. The left portion was just open field, and at the far end dead ahead was a large outcropping of rocks with cave openings. Keishin's observations didn't take long and he looked at his grandfather.

"Where is everybody…?"

Ukai grinned and nodded towards the rocks as a large grey wolf stepped out onto the landing in front of the largest opening.

"Daichi, it's good to see you." Ukai greeted. The great wolf bowed politely before making his way down to them. Keishin watched the wolf get nearer to them, feeling a little apprehensive.

"This is my grandson, and the next champion, Keishin." Ukai gestured to Keishin, who bowed deeply. Tension filled the air as Daichi studied the new human closely, even leaning forward to sniff him.

After what felt like an eternity, Daichi took a step back and Keishin straightened up when he felt a strange ripple in the air. His eyes went wide in awe as the wolf before him started to morph before there was a brown haired human in its place.

"Nice to meet you, Keishin." Daichi put his hand out. The blonde nodded and took it.

"Yeah, you too," he answered, still in shock. Sure, he'd heard the stories, but seeing it in person was just… it was indescribable. The awe was sort of pushed aside however when he realized the man was totally nude.

 _'Well duh, he was just a frickin' wolf, genius.'_ Keishin nearly rolled his eyes at himself.

"Alright everyone; you can come out." The pack leader called. The words had barely left his mouth when people –werefolk, he reminded himself- came pouring out of the cave. He was relieved to see they weren't all nude, instead wearing animal skins to protect their modesty, though he guessed it was more for his benefit then their own.

One of the first to approach him was a bouncy orange haired kid.

"Hi! I'm Hinata! You're Keishin right? You're gonna replace the old man?"

"Uh- yeah," The human nodded and inched back when the were-creature bounced even closer. Someone slid their hands under the orangette's armpits and lifted him up, setting him aside.

"Sorry about him, he's a little excitable." A brunette said, smiling at him. "My name's Ennoshita, I'm a wolf." The man extended his hand. Ukai shook his hand and returned his name.

"Are you not all wolves?" He asked curiously.

"We were at one point, but now it's a mixed pack. Hinata, who you just met, is a red fox. The tall blonde one, Tsukishima, is a Culpeo, the girls, Yachi and Kiyoko, are raccoons, the short one is Nishinoya and he's a wolverine and the rest of us are wolves. Tanaka is an Arabian wolf though, while Kinoshita, Narita, Daichi and I are grey wolves." Ennoshita pointed out each member as their names were mentioned.

Keishin nodded and took in all the information.

"Hey hey hey- so like, what's it like being surrounded in werefolk?" Noya appeared at his side. "Are you scared? I mean, what if we hurt you?"

"Yeah- what if we decide you're on the menu tonight?" A bald man joined him –Tanaka if he remembered right- and bared his teeth. It was probably meant to be scary, but really he looked more ridiculous than anything.

"Yeah- we haven't had human in a while." Noya smirked.

"Neither of you have ever eaten human. Stop embarrassing us." Keishin laughed when the two turned in unison to hassle Tsukishima, who'd spoken. A hand landed on his shoulder and he looked over to see his grandfather grinning at him.

"So, think you can handle these hooligans?" He asked. Keishin looked back to where Noya, Tanaka, Tsukishima and Hinata were wrestling one another, Tsuki growling and yelling while the others laughed.

"Yeah, I think I'll be just fine."

"Good! Now let's go get our spots in the den picked out."

Keishin nodded and followed his grandpa as he led the way up to the caves. They went into one of the smaller caves and Ukai Sr. pointed out a pile of extra hides and furs.

"We'll use those to make our beds. This is the storage area technically, but we're not allowed to sleep in the main cave with everyone else."

"Understandable, I guess." The men both got to work setting up their sleeping areas. The trek into the woods and to the den had taken them a few hours, so the sun was low in the sky.

"Alright, let's go eat supper with the pack. After that, it's bedtime."

Keishin nodded in understanding. Ukai Sr. had given him the rundown of what would happen as they'd made their way here, so he was prepared.

Ukai Sr. grinned and settled a hand on Keishin's shoulder.

"I'm proud of you, Keishin."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Three days later, the village folk gathered around, watching the edge of the forest as they awaited the return of the Ukai men. It was nearly noon when someone called out.

"There they are!"

Ukai, senior and junior, emerged from the tree line, both in one piece. Around his neck, Keishin wore a necklace made from the jawbone of some great beast. It was the symbol of the wolves' favour.

Applause erupted as everyone welcomed them back. Keishin got a lot of handshakes and pats on the back as the village folk congratulated him on being accepted by the wolves.

Kageyama watched the procession as everyone made their way to the center of town. Another feast would be held in celebration, but he wasn't interested in going. It's not as if anyone would notice if he just stayed home.

"Hey, Kageyama, where're you going?!"

Or so he'd hoped.

Kageyama looked over to see Suga jogging towards him.

"Come on, you don't wanna miss the festivities, do you?!"

The black haired hunter gave him a look that clearly said yes, he did want to 'miss the festivities'.

"Oh don't be like that, grumpy face. Come on!" Suga grabbed his arms and started to drag him along.

The reluctant hunter sighed but didn't try to fight it.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

It was almost a month after the Ukais' journey into the forest that it happened.

The moon was high in the sky and Kageyama was wide awake. He wasn't sure what, but he was sure something had pulled him from the comfort of sleep. It was the third night in row now that this had happened. Frustrated, the black haired man pulled himself up out of his modest bed and grabbed his house coat.

Kageyama pulled the article on and made his way through the house, navigating in the dark to the front door. He slipped his feet into a pair of shoes before going outside, closing the door quietly beside himself. With a long-suffering sigh, the hunter lowered himself onto the steps of his porch and cast his gaze towards the Forest of Beasts, outlined ominously by the light of the moon.

Tomorrow would be the full moon, and something in his gut told him it wasn't going to be an ordinary day. He could feel it -as surely as he'd feel hunger- that something was coming. Something big.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oooooooh, what's gonna happen?????? Haha thanks for getting this far! Stick around to find out!


	4. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Entering the forest.

The day of the full moon started just like any other. Kids were ushered off to their tiny school, mothers started the daily house hold chores and fathers made their way to their respective jobs.

Everyone in the village had a role to play and every role was important for the well being and upkeep of their steadily growing settlement. Kageyama was no exception to this rule as he slid on his boots and a thick jacket before grabbing his bag. He was supposed to meet up with a few of the others to head down to the river and catch some fish.

Kageyama sighed to himself as he stepped outside, his eyes automatically landing on the Forest of Beasts. His house was at the furthest edge of the village, with his front porch facing the trees. When he and his father had been building it, his parents had argued the placement of the door, but he didn't care. He wanted a view of the forest and a window just wasn't enough.

The hunter stopped and gave himself a few minutes to admire the great forest before he had to head out. Just as he turned to walk away, something flashed in his peripherals. Something _orange_.

Kageyama stopped dead and turned back to the forest, watching intently. A splash of orange appeared among the green of a tree top and he started walking towards it automatically.

' _What… what is that?_ ' The human picked up pace when the spot of colour disappeared, only to reappear in a different tree. He was nearly at the edge of the forest when it disappeared and didn't return.

Kageyama frowned and slowed down, peering into the trees anxiously. He realized he'd dropped his bag at some point, but it was a distant thought as he took his first step past the tree line.

XXXXXXXXX

"Hey, shouldn't Kageyama be here by now?" Asahi looked around at the gathered men, frowning.

"Don't worry about it, he probably just slept in." Iwaizumi said.

"Should someone go wake him?" Yamaguchi asked.

"No, let him sleep. He's had a rough couple of nights." The head hunter said, shaking his head.

Everyone nodded in understanding, only Asahi being unsatisfied. He wasn't sure what, but something about the situation didn't feel right. After all, Kageyama was never one for being late. The brunette bit his lip but tried to push aside the feeling as the group set out for the river.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

Inside the Forest of Beasts was just as magical as Kageyama had always dreamed it would be. The trees were massive, bigger than any he'd ever seen before, and the breeze that rustled the leaves seemed to whisper promises of a better life.

Kageyama stopped and took a deep breath, feeling for the first time in his life like maybe he belonged somewhere. Peace and tranquility seeped into his body, making him wonder how a place like this could put such terror in the hearts of his fellow villagers.

The jolt back to reality was hard and fast when he was reminded suddenly that it wasn't the forest his people feared. It's what was in it. The human froze in place, his heart nearly beating out of his chest as he prayed he was wrong and that he hadn't heard—

Another growl sounded from behind him and if Kageyama were less proud, he'd have peed himself. Instead, he swallowed thickly and took a deep breath. His legs had turned to stone under him, so turning to face the noise was one of the hardest things he'd ever done.

The scene behind him was the same as the rest- thick green foliage and wide tree trunks. He studied anxiously, but couldn't find the source of the growl. He heard it again and thought perhaps he'd just lie down and die when he realized it came from his left.

' _I didn't even hear it move!_ ' Kageyama turned only his head, eyes searching desperately for the creature that would no doubt tear him to pieces. He was about to give up the search and resign himself to never seeing the beast when he finally saw them- a pair of molten brown eyes peering at him through the leaves of a dense bush.

Suddenly, he was four years old again and staring into the eyes of the vixen who saved his life. Kageyama could've sworn his heart stopped right then and there when a red fox stepped out in the tiny clearing, very much alive and in the present.

"Y-You…." The human sank to his knees, his mind helpfully pointing out that this fox was most definitely not a female. But as the fox approached, teeth bared but curiosity in those oh-so-familiar eyes, he knew without a doubt that this was her kit.

Kageyama took a moment to ponder the irony of it all; the kit of the fox that saved him would be the one to take his life in the end.

The human closed his eyes and braced himself for the inevitable.

Seconds ticked by.

It felt like he'd knelt there for an eternity when he finally dared to open his eyes. He nearly jumped out of his skin when he found himself almost face to face with the fox and held his breath when it leaned closer, sniffing him.

"I-I promise I don't taste good!" He stammered, still convinced he was going to be killed. The fox jerked its head back at stared at him incredulously, before throwing its head back and—was it laughing at him?!

"Hey! It's a genuine concern!" He defended, before shaking his head at himself. The fox dropped his head back down to look at him, and the brown eyes that he locked onto didn't hold any anger or malicious intent. Instead, the curiosity he thought he'd seen earlier was intensified and there was something else in them too. Something…. Warm?

Their moment of peace was destroyed by a chorus of ferocious growls as two creatures burst in.

There was a moment of chaos as Hinata was grabbed by the scruff and pulled away but Kageyama didn't really have time to react when a firm weight knocked him to the ground. He saw pale fur and sharp teeth before he closed his eyes.

Instead of the sound of his flesh being torn apart, there was a sharp yelp. Whatever was on his chest paused in reaction to the sound and before he could open his eyes, something furred was laying over his throat. When he finally looked, his eyes were bombarded by orange fur and Kageyama realized it was the fox. He was covering his neck and having a fierce stare down with the creature on his chest – another fox of some sort, his mind supplied helpfully.

' _Is… is he protecting me…?_ ' Another growl drew his attention to a lanky wolf that was stalking over to them. His protector growled back and Kageyama watched as the three creatures no doubt discussed his fate. Finally, after what felt like a century, a decision was made.

The wolf and the pale fox backed away and his fox friend stood, crawling off of him.

Kageyama sat up slowly when the red fox started to nudge at his shoulder. When the nudging moved to his lower back, he took the hint and got to his feet. The wolf and the other fox growled at him but the red fox seemed to ignore them, instead starting to trot in a seemingly random direction.

A glance over his shoulder told Kageyama the fox was expecting to be followed.

"Right…" The human nodded and started to trail after the friendly fox. The footsteps behind him let him know the other two were also following, but they seemed idle. The journey was tense, but a surge of relief filled him when the trees started to thin and he could see his village once more.

His fox friend stopped walking and watched him expectantly. Panic flashed across the furry critter's face a second before sharp pain erupted across his back, making him cry out and fall to his knees.

The red fox sprung into action, coming to his side and snarling fiercely behind him.

Kageyama managed to turn his head to see the pale one –a culpeo perhaps- glaring at him. The look on its face told him clearly that it could've been much worse and he couldn't help but agree. While the pain in his back was bad, he recognized it for what it was.

 _A warning_.

Kageyama looked at the angry fox beside him and carefully put a hand on its back, drawing those brown eyes up to his.

"I'm ok." He said, and ignored the skeptical look he received. The rustling of the forest told him the other two had disappeared and he took the moment to admire his savior.

 _'That's the second time a red fox has saved me…'_ The human thought as he slowly picked himself up off the forest floor.

"Thank you," he said, bowing as best he could with the burning pain on his back. He knew he was losing blood, and he knew if it continued at this rate he'd lose consciousness.

The fox seemed to know as well, as he gave him a little nudge, pushing him towards the village.

Kageyama took one last look at the magnificent creature before turning and walking out, leaving the forest and his furry savior behind.

XXXX

It was nearly noon and Kageyama hadn't appeared.

Ignoring the assurances of the others, Asahi headed to Kageyama's home to check on him.

He'd just been coming around the house to the front door when something moving through the sea of green grass caught his eye. He looked out into the field that separated their village from the Forest of Beasts and gasped when he realized what he was seeing.

"Kageyama!" He called, jogging towards his friend. The black haired man was walking a little weird, his feet dragging and head hung as he moved. When Asahi made it to him, he reached a hand out to offer support but recoiled when his hand met something thick and warm.

Alarmed, the brunette looked at Kageyama's back and nearly lost his lunch when he saw red blood soaking into the shredded fabric of his friends tan jacket.

"Oh my god! Kageyama, what's happened?!" He asked, even though his brain had already supplied the answer. Without hesitation, he pulled the black haired man's arm over his shoulder so he could take his weight and nearly doubled the pace. He had to get Kageyama to the healers as soon as possible.

As soon as they'd made it past Kageyama's home, Asahi started to call for help. The response was immediate, everyone rushing to his aid. A village man took Kageyama's other arm as someone else rushed ahead to the healers to get them ready.

Their trip through the village was met with gasps and cries of horror as people put the pieces together. They were met at the door of the healers' lodge by Suga, already in his apron and waiting for them.

"Hurry, this way!" The silver haired man led them in to one of three available rooms, gesturing to the bed. The men carefully deposited Kageyama face down on the bed, the black haired man barely holding onto consciousness as blood continued to pour from his wound.

Asahi and the other villagers were forced from the room as the healers set to work, cutting away Kageyama's jacket and shirt. The last thing Asahi saw before the door closed was three gashes spanning diagonally across the space between his friend's shoulder blades.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

That night, after Kageyama had been stitched up and bandaged and was sleeping fitfully in the healers' bed, a small meeting was held.

Everyone was talking; discussing the claw marks on Kageyama's back, debating on whether or not they should be worried.

"That mark wasn't a threat," Ukai Sr. said, cutting over the chatter of those present. "That mark was a warning; the people of our village are not welcome in the Forest of Beasts. Frankly, I'm surprised he even made it out of there."

Everyone looked over to the old man. He was standing in place of Keishin, who was busy preparing a bag to head into the Forest of Beasts.

"I don't agree. A mark like that- it nearly killed him! He survived only because he was found quickly! Those beasts meant to kill him!"

"If they'd truly meant to kill him, why go for between his shoulder blades? Why not the neck? Why is the injury on his back the only one?"

No one had an answer to that.

"The fact of the matter is, if they'd wanted him dead, he would be. They may be animals, but don't forget that they are also half human."

Silence filled the room as everyone considered what he said until finally a village elder nodded.

"Ukai is right; we should see this as it is and thank the heavens that the werefolk were forgiving this time." Murmurs of agreement spread through the gathered village folk.

"My boy… he's been looking at that forest since he was old enough to open his eyes…" All eyes turned to Kageyama's mother as she dabbed her red, swollen eyes with a handkerchief.

Asahi put a hand on her shoulder comfortingly.

"After an attack like this, he'd be a fool to ever go back in. I don't think you have any need to worry any longer about him." Everyone seemed to agree with the village elder and the meeting was adjourned.

Meanwhile, in the moonlit room of the healers' lodge, Kageyama lie awake, his head swimming with images of the red fox and dreams for when they'd meet again.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Quick notes;
> 
> For anyone confused by it; Hinata's fur is orange, not red, but his species is called a Red Fox. So when I refer to him as such, it's not his colour, but species. I was gonna simply refer to him as a fox, but with a second fox in the mix, it got too confusing. I hope that makes sense!
> 
> Thanks! Drop a review if you liked it!


	5. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kageyama is a stubborn ass.

"We should have just killed him," Tsuki snarled as Hinata entered the clearing.

The whole pack had been gathered in the pit to await Hinata's return.

"He wasn't hurting anything!" Hinata growled back, walking over.

Daichi was sitting at the head of the make-shift circle, frowning.

"Hinata, Tsuki and Tanaka told us what happened. Care to give us your side of the story?"

The fox took a deep breath as he shifted back to human and took a seat in the open space left for him.

"Ok, so I was paying my respects to mum and Natsu-"

Everyone gave a respectful bow at that,

"-and then I heard something. I followed the sound- and bam! There was a human!" Hinata threw his arms out dramatically. "He was just… standing there." The fox's voice sort of softened.

"He was sniffing the air, and looking at the trees… he just… looked so happy…" The orangette's expression sunk into a frown.

"But I knew he couldn't stay, so I growled! But then…. The most amazing thing happened! He was scared- totally terrified- but then I looked into his eyes and… it's like… like he _knew_ me. I know that doesn't make sense, but I swear! He was looking at me like he'd seen me before…"

Everyone shared apprehensive glances before Daichi spoke up.

"Hinata, that's not possible…"

"I know!" The orangette snapped, surprising them all.

"But then… I don't know. I felt that he wasn't gonna do anything to hurt me. So I was just gonna lead him back out to his people. That's when those two showed up." He gestured angrily at Tanaka and Tsuki.

"Hinata, humans aren't allowed in our forest. That's the law, and we're all expected to help enforce it." Daichi sighed.

"Then why are those Ukai people allowed?!"

"Because, the Ukai family made a treaty with our clan a long time ago."

"So why can't this one?!"

Daichi sighed and shook his head.

"That's not how it works, Hinata." He said. "I don't want to argue with you," he spoke up when Hinata opened his mouth to argue.

"The important part is that everyone is ok, and even though he's hurt, the human is alive. I think that's a fair compromise to killing him."

Hinata scowled but couldn't argue that, though he definitely wasn't happy about it.

"Right, go bath and then off to bed early."

The orangette turned on his heel and stomped off, changing form once he hit the edge of the clearing.

Once the fox had disappeared, Daichi said and seemed to deflate a bit, bringing a hand up to rub his temples. He looked up when Tsuki appeared at his side.

"Do you think I was wrong?" The culpeo asked in a low voice. He may be standoff-ish and harsh, but the young fox was still a member of the pack and his alpha's approval was important.

Daichi looked at the culpeo and offered a small smile.

"No, I don't think you were wrong. I think you handled the situation as best you could, given the circumstances. While killing the human would've been the cleanest solution, the whole situation became much more complicated when Hinata stepped in."

Tsuki scoffed in annoyance.

"Hinata's a fool."

"Perhaps, but he's also compassionate, and that's something I don't ever want him to grow out of. This place is cold enough already; I'd hate to see his sunshine be dimmed for any reason."

Tsuki considered his alpha's words, but in the end he couldn't find it in himself to disagree. After everything the red fox had been through, his smile was a miracle and he'd be damned if he was the one to take it away for real; even if it meant sparing a human.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Hinata was quiet as he looked down at the waters of the river. He was supposed to be washing himself, but his hands hung limp by his sides as his mind wandered to the edge of the forest; to the human he'd saved.

He, more than anyone in the pack, had every reason to hate the humans. They'd killed his father and forced his family to flee to the Forest of Beasts -a journey that took his mother and sister from him- but… but he just couldn't bring himself to hate them.

His mother, may she rest in peace, had never held any animosity for the two legged creatures. In fact, he remembered vividly the day she came home smelling of a human. She told him of a human she'd saved; about how he had been around Hinata's age and that he'd gotten himself lost. His father had gotten angry, insisting that his mother should have killed it, or at the very least left it to die.

Even after she'd lost her mate and then her home, Kaname had never hated the humans. When Hinata asked how she could forgive them, she replied simply.

" _They're just trying to survive, Shoyo, just the same as us."_

Hinata let his mothers words circle around his head as the water pushed passed him with its gentle current.

The fox was pulled from his musings by a sound at the shore behind him and looked over his shoulder. He smiled lightly when he saw a black panther sitting there.

"Hey, Kenma," he greeted, looking back at the water and started to wash himself. He felt the air ripple behind him and knew Kenma had changed forms before he spoke.

"There's a strange rumour floating around, Shoyo."

The orangette nodded a bit.

"I'm not surprised. It's not every day a human makes it out of the forest alive."

"So it's true then; you helped one escape."

Hinata sighed and turned to face his friend.

"He wasn't hurting anything, Kenma. He was just looking around…"

The blonde haired were-panther nodded a bit.

"I believe you, Shoyo. I just hope you made the right decision."

Hinata nodded in determination. He was prepared for any and all flack that came his way as a result of his decision today, because he was positive, more than he'd ever been, that he'd made the right choice.

Kenma nodded back and sprawled out on his back, yawning, as Hinata went back to washing.

XXX

The two went their separate ways after a while, Hinata heading back for dinner and Kenma crossing the border and returning to his own den.

"Hey babe," Kuroo greeted as Kenma stepped into the woodsy area his pack lived in. It was lush and warm, with thickets of bushes that'd been formed into natural shelters along the ground. The trees were closer together here, some of the branches having morphed together over the years and providing natural platforms.

Kenma jumped up into the largest of the trees and climbed his way up to the highest of the natural platforms where his mate lay. Kenma shifted into his human form and crawled into Kuroo's arms, the panther king pulling him close.

"So, what'd Hinata say?"

"It's true; he saved a human."

Kuroo sighed softly.

"Well, with any luck, _they_ won't hear about it. I'd be a mess if they decided to get involved."

Kenma tucked his face against Kuroo's neck and nodded, feeling worried for his friend.

XXXXXXXX

Night fell like a blanket on the Forest of Beasts as the Karasuno clan got ready for bed. Tanaka was the last one sitting in the pit, staring blankly at the dying embers of the fire they'd had going.

Ennoshita went over and sat next to his mate, leaning into him.

"What's on your mind?" He asked when he felt Tanaka lean back.

"….that human." He admitted softly.

"You think Hinata was right to defend him, don't you?"

The surprise on Tanaka's face made the other laugh lightly.

"I'm your mate. More than anyone, I understand how you feel. I felt the relief in your mind earlier. I didn't understand it until you got back and Tsuki told the story. I thought at first it was relief that no one was hurt, but I was wrong. I realized that when you didn't take anyone's side once Hinata got back."

"…do you think I'm wrong?"

Ennoshita smiled and kissed his mate's head softly.

"No, I don't think you're wrong. I don't necessarily understand why, but you were there in person. I know that whatever your reasons, they're valid, and I'll stand by you." Ennoshita said. "And besides, Hinata's really shaken things up around here since he arrived, and it's not all been for the worse. Let's take Nekoma for example; we've always been allies with them, but ever since Hinata befriended Kenma, we've been more than allies. They're our friends now." He pointed out.

Tanaka considered what his mate said for a moment and then nodded.

"The same goes for Dateko! I mean, we all had a heart attack when that crazy little fox had the gall to bring home a frickin' _bear_ of all things, but his friendship with Aone had brought out clan closer to them as well."

"Exactly. I'm not saying the same will happen here, but Hinata's compassion isn't a bad thing, and I don't want you to feel bad about agreeing with him."

The bald man pulled Ennoshita into a kiss, letting his worries and stress be pushed aside by the warmth of his mate's arms.

XXXXXXXX

" _Sir, it would seem the rumours are true."_

" _Tsk. Of course it is; that Karasuno clan is full of fools! First they open their clan to a species no their own, but now they're even sparing_ humans _. The treaty with those Ukai folk was bad enough- but this! This has gone too far!"_

_Murmurs spread through the group of were-creatures as everyone pondered the newest development._

" _What do you suggest, sir?"_

_The white haired man frowned in thought._

" _We wait; the path they're on will crumble out from beneath their feet, and when it does, they'll realize we were right all along."_

" _What if they endanger us all?"_

" _Then we crush them."_

XXXXXXXX


	6. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Into the forest. Again.

Keishin sighed as he took a drag from his pipe. When the attack had happened almost a month ago, he'd gone home a packed a small bag to head into the Forest of Beasts to speak with the Karasuno clan. He'd been nearly ready when his grandfather showed up.

He told him the decision the town had come to, and after some deliberation it was decided that he wouldn't go. While they both felt Karasuno deserved a thank you, they also agreed it would be wise to keep all humans –themselves included- out of the forest for a while.

Kageyama was nearly healed, nothing left of the claw marks but a few scabs. It was inevitable that he'd be left with scars, but according to the healers he'd gotten lucky. If the claws had gone any deeper into the muscles, he could've lost some, if not all, mobility in his shoulders.

Mrs. Kageyama had rejoiced when her son was released from the healers' care, happy that her boy was alive and well and 'cured of his fascination with that accursed forest', but something didn't sit right with the young Ukai.

He'd known Kageyama since the boy was a kid -an inevitability when living in a small village- and something had always been different about him.

Ever since his attack, Kageyama had stopped gazing into the forest with longing, a sign his mother took as him being over his infatuation. But to Keishin, he thought it was just the opposite. In fact, he'd be willing to bet the strange man's head was instead filled with memories of the forest and plans to go in again.

With a sigh, Keishin dumped the ashes from his pipe into the tin can at his feet and stood. Of course this all had to go down _after_ his grandfather had retired.

Takeda looked over from the kitchen, smiling softly.

"Everything ok?" He asked as he finished rolling out the dough for the pie he was making.

"Just wondering how long it'll be before that idiot tries to go back into the Forest of Beasts."

"You mean Kageyama?"

"Do you know any other idiots with a sick obsession with that place?"

Takeda chuckled and wiped his hands off, walking over to his lover.

"Why are you still so sure he _is_ going to go back in?"

Ukai looked down at the dark haired man and shrugged a bit.

"I just can't shake the feeling. Do you think I'm wrong?"

"I think you should trust your gut." The spectacled man put a hand against Ukai's stomach to balance himself as he leaned up. The blonde bent down to meet halfway, kissing him softly.

Takeda smiled as they parted.

XXXXXXXXXXX

Kageyama looked down at the bag sitting open on his bed, going through a mental checklist of everything he'd need for his trip.

Warm clothes? Check.

Extra socks? Check.

Dried meats? Check.

Water skin? Check.

He looked down at his crossbow for a moment before shaking his head. He wasn't going in there to offer violence, so it would feel wrong to bring it in, but that didn't mean he was going unarmed. He had two hunting knives in his belt, one at each hip, two knives inside his jacket and one boot knife per boot.

The dark haired man looked around his house one last time to make sure he hadn't forgotten anything before taking a deep breath.

' _One last thing…'_ Kageyama grabbed a carefully wrapped package and set it in his bag, keeping it near the top. Satisfied that he had everything, he pulled on a long coat and slipped his feet into his hunting boots before pulling the back pack on.

The sun was barely peeking over the tops of the trees as he stepped out of his house and into the brisk, early morning air. The Forest of Beasts stood tall and strong on the other side of the field and the rising sun reminded him why he was doing this in the first place.

Kageyama took a moment to look back at his house and the village that lay beyond it before taking a deep breath and making his way across the field.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

Meanwhile, deep in the Forest of Beasts, a young werefox woke with the rising sun.

Hinata yawned and snuggled a little closer to Noya. They'd spoiled him a bit too much as a pup and now the orangette found it all but impossible to sleep alone, thus creating a habit.

Noya shifted a little in his sleep to accommodate his bedmate but didn't wake. The fox yawned again and closed his eyes, determined to fall back asleep but it seemed like his mind had a different idea. He wasn't sure what it was, but _something_ was nagging at him, making him restless. After a few minutes, Hinata gave up. Not wanting to wake Noya with his fidgeting, the fox crawled out of the warm furs, shivering a bit before tiptoeing his way through the cave and out into the brisk morning air.

Hinata shivered again and ran his hands along his arms that had broken out in goose bumps. It was summer still, but the nights were always chilly in the Forest. Looking up, Hinata frowned when he found the sun barely peeking above the trees. He'd always been an early riser, but this was ridiculous, even for him.

Resigning himself to stay awake for the rest of the day, Hinata headed down to the pit, planning to maybe get a fire going to help him warm up a bit. Before he made it that far though, something seemed to tug at the edge of his mind, pulling his thoughts quite suddenly to the southern border of their forest.

Hinata frowned and turned his body in that direction, staring into the trees as though they would provide him with an answer. The fox was about to dismiss the strange feeling when the trees rustled. He tensed, ready to fend of whatever may appear, when a chipmunk darted out.

"Terushima…?" Hinata frowned as the chipmunk changed forms, taking on the appearance of a frazzled human.

"Hinata! I'm glad you're awake; I got here as fast as I could! We need to wake Daichi and the rest of the pack!"

"What it is? What's wrong?" The fox scanned his friend for any injuries, worried that perhaps the chipmunk and his clan had been attacked.

"There's a human in the forest!"

Hinata froze in shock, eyes going wide.

"A human?"

"Yes, a human! He's from that village to the south and he's headed this way!" Terushima turned and made to jog up to the den to wake everyone else but was stopped by a hand on his arm. The chipmunk looked over at Hinata curiously.

"This human…." The fox murmured "What colour was his hair?"

"Black, I think. Why do you ask?" Terushima frowned, confused.

"…Where is he now?"

"I've got some of my clan trailing him… Hinata, what's going on? Why aren't we waking Daichi up?"

"I'll deal with it. Please; don't wake them unless something goes wrong, ok?"

The taller male frowned, not liking the orangette's reactions. Finally, he sighed and nodded.

"Yeah, ok. But you'd better explain everything later."

Hinata looked at him and smiled.

"Don't worry, I will. Thank you, Terushima." The fox pat his shoulder before changing shape and slipping into the trees.

XXXXXX

Kageyama shivered again, pulling his jacket tighter around himself. With the thick canopy of leaves from the trees, sunlight had a tough time reaching the forest floor so early in the morning, leaving it chilly and damp. It seemed most of the forest was still asleep, save for some birds way high in the trees and several chipmunks that scurried about in the trees above him.

The human looked up to see one of said chipmunks scampering from one tree to another, via branches. He briefly entertained the thought that perhaps they were following him, but quickly dismissed it. Somehow, he couldn't see there being any were- _chipmunks._

With that decided, the black haired man pressed on, carefully navigating the forest as he made his way deeper in. With the sun as his guide, he was headed north. He figured that it was as good as any direction to start in, and he highly doubted he'd be alone long enough to have to change direction.

XXX

Hinata made his way through the forest quickly, following Terushima's scent back towards the south border, though he had a feeling in his gut that he didn't need to.

When he got closer to the south, he started hearing the telltale sounds of footsteps on the ground. They were a little heavier sounding then what he was used to hearing from his pack mates, but he figured it was attributed to the clunky footwear the humans wore.

He slowed down as the sound got louder, shifting to walk on his tiptoes –a trick he'd learned from the coyotes of Aoba Johsai. The footsteps stopped and the fox slowly crept closer until he could peer through some foliage to finally see the human. He nearly jumped out of his skin when he found the human staring _right back at him_.

Hinata thought his heart would pop right out his mouth as he ducked behind the nearest tree.

' _How the heck did he know where I was?!'_ He thought frantically. He'd made extra sure to move slowly and quietly! Those same maneuvers worked on his pack mates, and they were werefolk! How the heck had a _human_ heard him?!

"Wait! Please don't go!"

Hinata's ears perked up when the human speak.

"I'm not gonna hurt you… I promise…"

Maybe it was foolish, but Hinata believed him, slowly creeping out from behind the tree. He stayed in the relative protection of the foliage, peeking out at the human who was crouched down and watching for him.

"There you are; I was hoping I'd find you."

The red fox tilted his head to one side, conveying his confusion.

"I just… I feel like you won't hurt me… and not just because you saved my life last time but… I just have a feeling in my gut…"

' _A gut feeling, huh….? Yeah… me too…'_ Hinata thought to himself as he studied the human.

Kageyama slowly lowered himself to the forest floor, sitting cross legged. He carefully shouldered off his heavy pack, sighing in relief when the weight came off his shoulders.

"So… I uh, I don't actually know if you can understand me or not…"

Hinata sunk down onto his belly, watching from under the leaves of the bush he was in.

"I…. didn't really think this far ahead…" The human admitted, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly.

The fox chuckled inwardly as he waited to see what the odd human would come up with.

"Umm… I guess… if you can understand me, can you like, nod or something…?"

Hinata briefly considered not responding, but his own curiosity won out and he nodded his head, making the move as obvious as possible.

The human seemed relieved.

"So you can; that's good."

Hinata lay his head down on his paws, eyes never leaving the human.

The two of them stayed like that for a bit, staring one another down in the middle of the forest. Eventually, Hinata made a move, crawling out from under the foliage and closer to Kageyama.

"I wanted to thank you," Kageyama said, finally breaking the silence. "You saved my life, even though you were outnumbered."

Hinata nodded his head again, hoping the human would understand that he was accepting the apology. It seemed he did, as Kageyama smiled a bit.

"I have another reason for coming though." The human's tone changed, turning more serious. The orange critter sat up, unsure where this was going.

"I—"

Whatever Kageyama was going to say was cut off when Hinata's sensitive ears picked up the thundering approach of multiple animals. A quick sniff filled him with dread when the breeze carried the scent of his pack to him. Panicked, Hinata turned and started to nudge Kageyama, desperately trying to urge the human to his feet.

"Your pack is coming, aren't they?" Kageyama in the direction Hinata had been facing. He got a sharp bark in response as the critter continued to push at him.

"It's ok; I don't want to run."

Hinata took a step back to stare at Kageyama incredulously but there was no more time as the first of his pack mates appeared, starting to form a circle around them.

Kageyama looked around with only his eyes as he was surrounded, growls coming from every direction. His heart was in his throat as he watched, but he stayed as still as possible. Something bumped his knee and he glanced down to see the red fox had backed up against him, teeth bared and his hackles up, even though his tail was between his legs.

"I don't want you to get hurt trying to protect me." He said to the fox. An ear twitched, letting him know he'd been heard but otherwise he was ignored.

A large grey wolf stepped out and stared down at Kageyama, eyes dark with anger. A little growl from Hinata pulled the wolf's attention down to him and the two seemed to be having a conversation.

" _Hinata, what is the meaning of this?"_

" _He's different, Daichi. He's not gonna hurt me- or anyone else."_

" _We discussed this, Hinata. Humans do not belong in the forest. We let him go with a warning, and now he's back!"_

" _But he's not here to hurt anyone!"_

" _That's not the issue, Hinata!"_ Ennoshita stepped forward a bit, frowning.

" _Then what is?! If he's not hurting anything, then I don't see why he can't be here!"_

" _This is the Forest of Beasts, pea brain. Filthy humans don't belong here!"_

Hinata's head snapped to Tsuki and he growled.

" _That's kind of hypocritical coming from you; your own family lives as humans!"_

Tsuki growled and took a step forward threateningly.

" _Enough."_ Daichi growled firmly. Tsuki scoffed but stepped back once more.

" _We can't let him live a second time, Hinata."_

The young fox looked at his alpha in horror, before his expression changed to resolve.

" _Then you'll have to kill me too."_

A visible shock went through the pack, Noya taking a step forward in shock.

" _Now, Hinata please think this through,"_ Narita said. _"There's no nee—"_

" _I'm not changing my mind."_ Hinata's tone was firm. _"If you guys are really gonna kill him when he's not hurting anything then I want no place in that kind of pack."_

Tanaka was the one who stepped forward, lowering himself to his belly.

" _Hinata… is that really how you feel?"_

The fox looked Tanaka in the eyes and nodded.

" _That's really how I feel. I don't know what it is, but… I just know, in my gut, that I'm making the right choice."_

" _Then that settles it,"_ Tanaka sighed and stood. He closed the space between them before sitting down at Hinata's side.

" _Tanaka…?"_

The Arabian looked at his mate.

" _Sorry to drag you into this, my love."_

Ennoshita shook his head, dismissing the apology before going to his mate's side.

" _I told you already, I'll stand beside you."_

Daichi stared at the two in shock, not sure how to react.

A loud sigh pulled his attention to Noya and he nearly lost his composure as the wolverine crossed the proverbial line in the sand, taking up position on Hinata's open side.

Kageyama was watching this all go down, eyes going impossibly wide as his protector was joined by three others. The new shift left the pack divided in half; four on his side and four on the opposing side.

The tension in the air was almost thick enough to cut when suddenly the largest of the grey wolves – the pack alpha he assumed- seemed to deflate, hanging his head.

" _We'll take him back to the den and make a decision there." Daichi said, frowning. "But,"_ he spoke when Tsuki opened his mouth toprotest _"If he does_ anything _that threatens the pack, we kill him."_

Hinata considered the alpha's words before nodding. He didn't want his human friend killed, but he was confident it wouldn't come to that. The fox turned to Kageyama and gave a little yip before nudging at him. When the human didn't get up right away, Tanaka and Noya joined in.

Kageyama stood at the urging of his new allies and grabbed his bag when they started to walk.

XXX

The journey back to the den was filled with wonder for the human as he admired the forest, eyes taking in as much as possible as they walked.

When the trees finally thinned out and then opened up into a large clearing, Kageyama thought he could very well die satisfied now. The Forest of Beasts was more than he could've ever imagined and even if he'd just been led to his death, he found no room for regret.

A nudge at his knee made him realize he'd stopped without meaning to, and he started to walk again, being led to a sunken area with a fire pit at the center.

The air around him started to ripple without warning and he imagined he looked like a fish, mouth opening and closing in shock as he watched the animals of the pack shift into human forms. A flash of orange in his peripherals had him turning his head so quickly he nearly gave himself whiplash.

The red fox was now a boy, looking up at him with the same molten brown eyes he'd seen in the face of the fox and a sunrise on his head.

"You, human; what's your name?"

He turned his head back to the circle of werefolk, eyes landing on a stocky, dark brown haired man who was staring at him intently. The eyes told him he was looking at the human form of the pack leader.

"Kageyama Tobio," He bowed politely. "I'm sorry for entering your forest without permission."

" _Again,_ " Someone hissed and he looked up to see a tall blonde man sliding a pair of glasses onto his face.

"…wait, are you Tsukishima Kei? The boy touched by the spirit of the beasts?"

A few of the pack members looked at Tsuki in confusion. The blonde scowled but didn't say anything.

"What does that mean?" Hinata asked, getting Kageyama's attention.

"It's a legend in my village. They say that because of how close we are to this forest that eventually a child born of human parents will be a were-creature. So that's what we call it; touched by the spirit of the beast."

"Let's focus on the matter at hand." Daichi brought everyone's attention back. "Kageyama Tobio; you have entered our forest twice now, despite your peoples' laws against it. At the insistence of our young Hinata," Daichi gestured to the orangette, "you were spared. Tell me, why should we spare you a second time?"

Everyone looked at Kageyama, curious to hear what the human had to say.

"Because…" The black haired man paused as he tried to gather his thoughts. "It's because for as long as I can remember, this forest has called to me. No matter how hard I try, or how much I tell myself I shouldn't, I always find myself standing at the edge of the village and staring into the trees…"

Everyone was quiet as he spoke.

"The first time I set foot in this forest… I've never felt as peaceful as I had in that first moment. Like nothing could ever go wrong... I feel more at home here, in these trees, than I do in the house I was born and raised in." Kageyama exhaled loudly, like the confession had lifted a weight from his shoulders.

A wave of movement went through the pack as everyone shared looks and a few whispers. Only Daichi stayed as he was, looking deep into Kageyama's eyes. The black haired human was nervous, but he didn't back down. Finally, the alpha shifted his gaze to Hinata, who was smiling softly.

Tanaka was once again the first to make a move, strolling across the pit and slapping a hand down on Kageyama's shoulder.

"I can't say I dislike this guy, Daichi."

Ennoshita chuckled softly as Noya practically bounced after the bald man before he too made his way to the human. Seeing that 4 of his pack stood on the human's side still, Daichi took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

"Right; Yachi, Kiyoko, we'll need you here. We're going to take a vote."

The girls emerged from the cave where they'd been observing from afar and came down to the pit, joining the circle.

Tanaka and Noya both greeted them enthusiastically. Yachi smiled and waved back, while Kiyoko just ignored them.

"Right; those in favour, raise your hand."

Tanaka, Noya, Ennoshita and Hinata raised their hands.

"Those against,"

Tsuki, Narita, and Daichi himself raised their hands.

"Why aren't you guys voting?" Daichi asked, looking at Kinnoshita and the girls.

"I think there should be a third option." Kinnoshita said.

"I'm willing to hear your proposal."

"A trial period; we let him stay for an amount of time agreed on by everyone and then when the time is up, we hold another vote."

There were thoughtful noises all around as everyone considered what he had said. Daichi took a moment to think it over as well, before he nodded.

"That seems like a fair offer. Kageyama; what say you?"

Kageyama bowed low.

"That is a very generous offer, and I would gladly take it."

Daichi nodded and looked to the rest of his pack to hear their thoughts. Everyone seemed to think the trial period was a good compromise, minus Tsuki of course.

"Tsukishima, if we allow this I need your word you'll give him a fair chance."

"I don't owe him that. He's the one who owes _me_ for not killing him when I should have."

"You're right," Everyone looked over at Kageyama "I do owe you. Not only did you spare my life, but you opened my eyes too. That village has never been my home. Not really at least. It's only because you spared me that I came to realize that."

Tsuki scoffed and rolled his eyes.

"Don't get sappy. Like I said, sparing you was a mistake." With that, the blonde spun on his heel and stormed off. Kageyama watched the culpeo go, frowning. It was only then that a vital piece of visual information was registered.

"U-Um, could you guys… put some clothes on?" Kageyama stuttered, face going red.

Tanaka and Noya burst out laughing, immediately starting to tease him for having not noticed sooner while the rest dispersed to get dressed, laughing as well.

Daichi chuckled at the human's expense but couldn't help but worry about whether or not he'd made the right choice by keeping Kageyama alive. He looked at Hinata, laughing and beaming at the human and prayed for the sake of the orangette that this didn't end badly.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whew! Gosh darn Kageyema! Of course he's not gonna stay away! thanks for reading this far! please leave a Kudos and reviews are welcome as well!


	7. Chapter 5

Suga took a deep breath of fresh morning air and smiled to himself as he made his way through the village. He was on his way to Kageyama's to check up one more time on the man's wound. It was healed of course, but he couldn't help but want to make sure the black haired man was alright after his little rendezvous in the Forest of Beasts and the pink scars were as good an excuse as any.

He hummed cheerfully as he climbed the steps of the small home and stopped at the door, rapping his knuckles against it. A moment passed in silence and he knocked again, a little louder.

"Kageyama, it's me!" he called, frowning when there was still no answer. When he tested the door it was unlocked, so he poked his head in.

"Kageyama, are you here?" The silver haired man yelled into the house before looking down at the shoes. All but his hunting boots were there and he sighed in relief before he turned and headed back into town. He was passing a bread stand when he spotted Iwaizumi.

"Not out with the boys today?" He asked cheerily as he walked over.

Iwaizumi looked over.

"No, we had a good haul yesterday, so no one is hunting today." Suga's heart faltered.

"What about fishing?" He asked, dread settling into his stomach.

"No, we've got plenty still. Why?" Iwaizumi frowned as he watched Suga get pale. "Suga, what's going on?"

"Kageyama," the silver haired man gasped before turning on his heel. Iwaizumi was a step behind as they ran through the village to their friend's modest home. Suga flew up the stairs and yanked the door open.

"Kageyama!" He yelled, entering the house without waiting. If he was there, Kageyama could get mad at him for it later, but a sinking feeling in his gut told him the black haired man was long gone. He ran through to the bedroom at the back of the house, nearly crying when he found it empty. He went to the closet next and found an empty space where a hunting pack should be.

"Suga! You're going wanna see this."

The silver haired healer turned and ran out of the room to the kitchen where he'd heard Iwaizumi call from. The dark haired hunter was standing by the two-seater kitchen table and looking down at two pieces of neatly folded parchment paper. Suga rushed over. There was one labeled _Mom & Dad _while the other was blank.

"Oh no," Suga murmured and picked up the unmarked one. He unfolded it and started to read, his fears being confirmed with every written word.

"What is it? What does it say?"

Suga's hands were shaking by the time he finished and he held it out without a word. The hunter frowned and took it before starting to read.

_To whom it may concern;_

_If you're reading this, then you've noticed by now that I am no longer in the village. I have gone to the Forest of Beasts in search of what draws me there. I know my chances of surviving a second encounter with the werefolk are slim, but I have no plans of returning to the village, dead or alive. As such, I leave all of my clothes and other material items to my mother, Shina Kageyama. In regards to my house, I am leaving it to the village council to do with as they see fit._

_This is what I want. Please do not make any attempts to come after me._

_Sincerely;_

_Kageyama Tobio._

Iwaizumi growled, the paper crumpling a bit where his hand tightened around it.

"That fool!" He roared, slamming the letter down onto the table. "He's gonna get himself killed!" He turned to look at Suga, who still looked pale. "We need to take these to the council, and to his parents. Come on." Iwaizumi refolded the letter and grabbed the other one before heading out of the house.

Suga followed his friend quietly, his brain in turmoil as he tried to process everything that had happened. He'd hoped –they'd _all_ hoped- that the life threatening wound on his back had been enough to put an end to Kageyama's foolish obsession with the forest.

' _Why, Kageyama? Why weren't we humans good enough?'_

XXXXXX

"This is an outrage!" an elder yelled. The council had been called to the town hall, along with the Ukai men, Kageyama's parents and his close friends to discuss the letters left behind.

Shina Kageyama was sobbing in her husband's arms, Kageyama's letter to them clutched to her chest and only making the other's angry.

"That boy is a fool!" Someone said.

"You're damned right he is! A dead fool, at that! No one has ever made it out of those woods alive, and for him to stroll right back in after they spared his life is suicide!"

Everyone seemed to agree.

"Right, now it's just a matter of his possessions, which he so kindly delegated already. His house goes to the council, with everything else going to his mother."

"Are you guys serious?"

Everyone looked over at Sugawara in shock, the silver haired man's tone angrier than they'd ever heard.

"Are you guys seriously gonna just start sorting out his possessions, just like that? Shouldn't we send a group after him? What if he gets killed?!"

An elder frowned at him.

"Young man, Kageyama Tobio walked into that Forest knowing full well what his odds were. He made that clear in his letter."

"And besides that," another spoke up, "we aren't going to ask our people to give up their lives to go hunt him down. It's a suicide mission."

Suga glared at the men who spoke, hands clenching in fists. Asahi put a hand on his shoulder, concerned for his friend.

"Suga…"

"Just don't, Asahi." Suga shrugged his hand off and stormed out. Asahi looked at the council members apologetically before he followed his friend.

Iwaizumi sighed but bowed politely as he excused himself. Yamaguchi did the same and they headed out together, leaving the council and Kageyama's parents.

"Listen, I don't know how much of a consolation it'll be, but I'll go speak with the wolves. If he's not already dead, maybe I can convince them to spare him again." Ukai Jr. stood, sighing softly. "At the very least, I'll try and bring you some closure."

Shina looked over at him and nodded, wiping her face.

"Thank you, Keishin."

XXX

Takeda watched with his heart in his throat as Keishin packed a small bag for his trip into the Forest of Beasts.

"Keishin, dear, are you sure about this? What if they're angry and take it out on you? What if they break the treaty?"

The blonde stopped packing and went over to his lover, pulling him into his arms. Takeda wrapped his arms tight around the taller man and buried his face against his chest.

"It's ok, Takeda. I promise I'll come back to you." He said as he rubbed his back soothingly. The brunette nodded against his chest but couldn't help but cry a little.

"Easy now," Ukai kissed the top of his head. "It's too late for me to head in today anyways, so I won't be leaving until tomorrow morning and I plan on smothering you with more love than you can handle." As he spoke he slid his arms down until they were at the back of Takeda's thighs and he lifted him up.

The shorter male squeaked in surprise and wrapped his legs around his partner's hips before grinning.

"Is that a promise?"

"You bet," Ukai grinned back.

The two shared a laugh and savoured one another's company, both nervous to see what tomorrow would bring.

XXXXXX

In another part of the village, Asahi was at the market looking for something for dinner. He'd been with Suga at their shared home since the meeting, Iwaizumi and Yamaguchi joining them as well, but then the silver haired healer had declared he wanted time to himself and had sent them all away.

It'd been nearly an hour since then, and Asahi was planning to at least bring home some dinner and see how his friend was doing.

He chose a thick cut of deer steak, Suga's favourite, and made his way through the village.

"Suga, I brought dinner." He called as he entered, toeing off his shoes. He went through to the kitchen and set the brown paper package on the counter before heading to Suga's room.

"Suga?" He pushed the partially cracked door open and nearly fainted when he found it empty with naught but a piece of parchment paper on the bed.

' _Oh god, please no! I can't lose another friend!'_ Asahi lunged across the room and snagged the piece of paper.

' _I'm going after Kageyama with or without the help of the council. If I do not return, I leave Asahi Azumane in charge of our shared home and all of my possessions._

_Sorry, Asahi. I can't just let him die like this._

_-Sugawara Koushi._

Asahi turned and ran out of the house, his heart in his throat as he made a beeline to Iwaizumi's house. He was so focused on his destination that he nearly barreled into the dark haired hunter as Iwaizumi was coming down the steps of his house.

"Whoa, watch where you're-"Iwaizumi's angry exclamation was cut clean when he saw the panicked expression on his friends face. "Asahi, what is it?! What's happened?!"

"Suga's gone after Kageyama," The tall male gasped out, holding the note out.

Iwaizumi read through the note quickly, feeling a sense of déjà-vu. When he looked up at Asahi, his jaw was set in a firm line.

"Well, looks like I'm going in too."

Asahi looked at his friend then nodded once.

"I'll be right beside you," He vowed.

Iwaizumi reached up and clasped a hand on Asahi's shoulder. "Pack a bag and meet me at Kageyama's house. Stop at Yamaguchi's on the way and let him know as well. I have a feeling he'll want to join us."

"Right; I'll see you there."

Iwaizumi nodded.

"For better or for worse."

XXXXXX

An hour later, the three men were standing on the porch of Kageyama's home and doing one last check of their provisions before they set out.

"Right, it looks like we have everything we need." Iwaizumi said. The other two nodded in agreement before a meaningful silence fell between them as they thought about their next step.

"Well, those idiots aren't gonna save themselves." It was Iwaizumi who broke the silence and got them moving.

"Right; let's go." Asahi said.

The three of them pulled their packs on and without any further hesitation they started the trek across the field.

XXXXXX

"Wow," Yamaguchi's voice was breathy as he spoke. "You know, if you forget about the homicidal werefolk long enough to admire the view, this place is actually really pretty."

"Yeah, too bad about the werefolk though. Kind of puts a damper on the mood." Iwaizumi said sarcastically.

"You guys are nuts," Asahi said, flinching when a chipmunk scurried up a nearby tree.

Iwaizumi looked over at the nervous man and laughed.

"I'll never get over how much of a coward you are with such a big body." He taunted. Yamaguchi laughed as well, making Asahi's shoulders slump in defeat.

With Yamaguchi being a highly skilled tracker it wasn't hard for them to catch up to their wayward friend. They found Suga sitting at the base of a tree, sipping some water.

"Suga!"

The silver haired man looked over at them and grinned.

"Took you guys long enough, geez. Did Asahi keep chickening out or something?"

Ignoring the indignant reply from Asahi, Iwaizumi shook his head with a chuckle.

"You're a fool, Sugawara Koushi. What would you have done if you were wrong and we didn't follow?"

"Then I would've gone on alone, but I wasn't worried." Suga stood and dusted himself off. "Ready to go then?"

"Wait… you mean you were _waiting for us_?!" Yamaguchi gasped.

Suga grinned at him in response and the youngest man deflated, sinking to his knees.

"I hate you," he mumbled without feeling.

They all shared a laugh before Yamaguchi climbed back up to his feet.

"Alright, let's do this."

Suga nodded before turning and looking up into a nearby tree.

"I know you've been following me; come on out."

His statement had the other three flinching and following Suga's line of site. Nothing happened for a moment, before finally a chipmunk scurried out onto a branch to look down at them.

"We're not here to hurt anyone. We're looking for our friend. Can you take us to him?"

The little critter sat up on its hind legs and regarded the four humans with a tilted head. Something rustled nearby and Suga looked down as three more chipmunks scuttled out towards their feet, stopping in front of the group.

"Do you know where he is? Can you take us to him?"

One of them wiggled its little nose at them before it started to morph, leaving a very naked adult male in its place.

Yamaguchi and Asahi turned red and looked away quickly. As a healer, Suga was unconcerned with the male body and thus unaffected. As for Iwaizumi, the man was rarely affected by much, so he just politely kept his eyes on the man's face.

"We know where your friend is, but we can't let you go any further."

XXXXXX

Having a human amongst them was a strange sensation for the Karasuno pack, but surprisingly it seemed like Kageyama fit in fairly well. Hinata of course was already attached to the dark haired man but it seemed others from the pack were also starting to warm up to him.

Tanaka and Noya were busy grilling him about life in the human village, asking question after question, almost too fast for the poor guy to answer. The topic posed some interest to other members, who'd gathered around when the questioning began. Only Tsuki stayed away, surprising no one when he refused to come out of the cave.

Everyone's attention was pulled to the south when a Johzenji clan chipmunk came running out into the clearing and heading right for Daichi.

"What is it, what's going on?" Daichi asked, knowing that the chipmunk bore news of some sort. The air rippled as it shifted to human.

"There are humans to the south, sir, four of them."

Shock spread through the pack and all eyes turned to Kageyama, who looked just as shocked.

"Those idiots," he growled and stood.

"Please, Daichi, please don't kill them!" He pleaded. "They're my friends!" He bowed low. "I told them not to come…" he muttered angrily, more to himself than anyone else.

Daichi let out an angry breath through his nose and Kageyama flinched a bit, still bowing.

"Please, I beg of you. I can tell them to go back! They just… I don't know why they came. I told them not to."

"Does the concept of loyalty ring a bell?" Tanaka asked sarcastically. Kageyama stood up and looked over at Tanaka with a startled expression.

Hinata put a hand on Kageyama's shoulder before the exchange could go any further.

"Daichi…" The young fox said only his name and the pack leader sighed.

"Bring them here. We'll deal with them… somehow."

The only protest came from Tsuki, who'd come out of the cave to see what the commotion was about, but Tanaka and Noya were already shifting forms. The Johzenji man did the same and took the lead.

XXXXXX

Asahi sighed softly and looked over at his friends. They were sitting at the base of a giant tree, watching the sun sink lower into the sky. They were burning precious daylight, but the chipmunk –werechipmunk? - had told them that one of his clan had gone on ahead to the wolves. Now they were just waiting in tense silence to learn their fates.

The group of chipmunks that had set up a sort of perimeter around them all turned their heads to the north a moment before another chipmunk scurried out. Hot on the heels of the chipmunk, a lanky wolf stepped out. A wolverine appeared at his side and growled at them.

The four humans stood up, ready to defend themselves if necessary, but the wolf gave them stern looks before turning around and heading back the way he'd come. The humans hesitated, unsure what to do until Asahi yelped. The wolverine was behind them somehow and had nipped the tall mans heel. He looked like he was gonna do it again, making Asahi dart forward.

"Guess we're supposed to follow," Suga said, gesturing to the wolf's retreating back before taking his own advice.

As they walked, Asahi kept a wary eye on the wolverine that was staying alarmingly close to him. A few times he thought he felt something brush him, but whenever he looked down, the furry creature was walking along normally. Chalking it up to paranoia, Asahi shook his head and walked a little faster.

XXX

The journey to their unknown destination –the wolves' den, Suga assumed- took them about forty minutes at the humans' pace and they were all relieved when the trees opened up. The relief turned to fear though when they were faced with a group of people in animal skins staring them down from atop a cliff.

The wolverine at their heels urged them forward as the wolf trotted off to the side and sat down.

"State your business. If it's worthy, we may let you live."

Suga looked at the man who'd spoken. He stood in the center, slightly in front of the rest. It was an easy leap of logic to realize he was the alpha. It was even easier for Suga to acknowledge that the scantily clad male was definitely one of _the most_ handsome men he'd ever met, hands down.

Iwaizumi stepped forward.

"A dear friend of ours entered your forest sometime this morning. We are worried for his safety and came to find him."

Daichi regarded the black haired human for a moment.

"Bring him out." He spoke over his shoulder. Kiyoko nodded and disappeared into the cave, returning with Kageyama and Hinata in tow.

"Kageyama!" Suga gasped. Asahi and Yamaguchi gasped with him, relief flooding their veins.

"Kageyama; it's good to see you alive and well." Iwaizumi said.

"I'm sorry if I scared you guys," Kageyama said, bowing.

"You bet you scared us! Now get down here so I can kill you myself!" Suga roared, waving his fist at the black haired man. Kageyama flinched and took several steps back from the angry healer. Even up on a cliff with a pack of werefolk between them, Suga was scary when he was angry.

Asahi put a sheepish hand on Suga's shoulder.

"Now now, Suga. That would be counterproductive." Iwaizumi said, patting his back. "Besides, if anyone's going to kill the little prick, _it's me._ "

Kageyama bowed again.

"I truly am sorry."

Suga sighed and shook his head.

"Apology accepted, _this time._ "

Asahi chuckled a bit at the antics of his friends, only to fly a foot into the air a moment later. Ok, that time something _definitely_ touched him!

He looked down to see the wolverine glaring up at him from where his leg had _just been._

"U-Ummm…." Asahi watched as the wolverine walked over and leaned against his leg, which must have been what he'd done the first time. Frozen in fear, Asahi stared down at the fuzzy little creature, unsure what to do.

The sight of someone so big being cowed by such a small animal brought a bark of laughter from Daichi, other members of the pack laughing as well.

"Well, it's getting dark. Your human eyes won't be able to see anything once the sun is down, so I guess you'll have to stay the night."

Tsuki growled in annoyance, looking at Daichi who ignored him.

"It'll be a tight squeeze, but you'll stay with Kageyama in the storage area." Daichi said, gesturing to the cave in question before his expression turned serious. "I want you all gone before noon. If I find you in this forest again, I'll kill you."

Iwaizumi looked up at the man and nodded in understanding. They were lucky; no, they were _beyond_ lucky, that a trip he'd been sure would be his last was turning out to be okay. For now, at least.

XXXXXX 


	8. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Karasuno suddenly has humans in their midst! how do they cope??

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is mild smut at the end of this chapter!!! I will mark it with bold text so you can skip if you'd like.

"This is where you guys will be staying," Kageyama said as he led his human friends into the small cave the pack had set him up in.

"It's… kind of…. cramped." Asahi said, having to crouch to even be inside the space.

"Yep, but it's better than the forest floor!" Hinata chirped, standing straight without any issues. The others all nodded in agreement as they set down their packs.

"Well, let's get our stuff set up for tonight so that we don't have to worry about it when it's dark." Suga said. They all started grabbing furs and skins from the pile against the cave wall that had been shoved to the side to make room for Kageyama.

It took some maneuvering and more than a few re-arrangements, but eventually the beds were all set up and ready to for the night.

"Good thing none of us are afraid of other men," Suga joked as he looked at how close they would all be. Asahi chuckled and nodded.

"Well, at least we'll stay warm." Yamaguchi pointed out. They all nodded in agreement before making their way back out. Asahi groaned in relief once he was able to straighten out properly.

"Well, let's go mingle!" Suga grinned and made his way down to the pit, completely unconcerned about whether or not he'd be welcomed.

Asahi watched him go with a shake of his head. He was seriously considering just hanging out in the cave for the rest of the night when someone popped up at his side, startling him.

He looked down to see a short, brown haired male staring up at him. There was a tuft of blond in the center of the oddly spiked hair that somehow reminded him of something, but he didn't know what.

"Ummm…. Hi…?" Asahi looked to his friends for help only to panic when he saw they'd both walked away, leaving him all alone.

"You're… the wolverine… right?"

The short man grinned and thrust out his hand so suddenly that Asahi flinched.

"Nishinoya Yuu, what's your name?"

"A-Asahi Azumane," the taller brunette accepted the offered hand timidly and nearly toppled forward when Nishinoya started to shake their hands vigorously.

"N-Nice to meet you," Asahi gave a sheepish smile, pulling out of the handshake as soon as he could.

"Nice to meet you, too!" Noya grinned and took a step closer to the taller man, who leaned back a little. The wolverine grinned and grabbed Asahi's wrist. "Let's go!" He tugged the tall man along, making his way down towards the pit.

Asahi stumbled a little but followed along, not sure how exactly he'd ended up in a position like this. They made it to the pit and Asahi found himself being pushed down onto a log, Noya sitting down next to him.

Suga was already there, sitting next to the alpha. They seemed to be having a conversation about the different kinds of herbs in the forest, Suga excited to learn about the new plants and their potential uses.

Sounds from further in drew his attention to Iwaizumi, who was busy wrestling around with someone from the pack in an area that seemed to be for that exact purpose. He couldn't see Yamaguchi anywhere, but he didn't have time to look before Noya started to ask him questions, sitting way too close.

XXX

Sugawara smiled as he and Daichi looked through a book he'd packed for the trip. It was a journal of all the herbs he'd ever learned about and some that he'd never actually seen but had heard of before. He'd hoped to maybe find some while he was in the Forest of Beasts and when the topic was brought up he discovered that Daichi had pretty good knowledge of the herbs available in his forest.

Suga was flipping through the pages one by one when Daichi stopped him.

"This one- why do you have it listed?"

"That's witch's hazel. It's a very good treatment for cuts and burns and even swelling." Suga explained, Daichi frowning in confusion.

"But we've never found a use for it…"

"Did you boil it?"

"….no."

Suga grinned.

"Well, there's your problem. It's not the flower itself; it's the extract from the stems."

"That's… clever," Daichi said, looking vaguely impressed.

"Is there any around here? I can show you how it works."

Daichi shook his head. "We don't have any in our area of the forest. When the elders found it useless they dug up all the plants."

"Oh," Suga frowned a bit. "Oh well," he shrugged. The pack leader felt something in his chest squeeze when the other frowned.

"Well uh, maybe you can show me tomorrow? Nekoma has it in their territory and I can ask them to bring some over…"

"Nekoma? Is that another clan?" Suga looked at him, intrigued.

"Yeah, they're a panther clan."

"Oh, so they're not mixed?" Suga questioned. Daichi shook his head.

"No, that's just us. Clans are usually species specific; it's only my clan that isn't. In fact, as far as anyone is aware, we're the only mixed wereclan in existence."

"Oh? Why is that?"

"Well first of all, most clans are families that've grown large. So they are all the same species by default. Then there's also the issue of cultural and instinctual differences. Take Noya for example;" he gestured to the wolverine who was still grilling Asahi. "Wolverines are fiercely territorial and are solo creatures. They don't do packs, or even small families. So for him to even be in a pack, especially one like ours, is highly unusual."

Suga thought for a moment then nodded.

"Yeah, I guess that's true. I never even thought about it, but we were always taught that wolverines are lone creatures… it's cool that he can live here with you guys." Suga spoke with a smile and Daichi returned it.

"Yeah, it is. It was a little touch and go at first, but he's good now… though every now then he'll take off for a while, just to be alone for a little."

"That's reasonable though; going against instincts like that, even when you're half human, has to be tiring." Daichi's eyes went a little wide as he looked at Suga. The silver haired human had caught on so easily to the way they function, as though it were nothing.

"Yeah… you're pretty smart, for a human,"

"What do you mean, 'for a human'?!" Suga asked indignantly, making Daichi flinch and bring his hands up.

"No no, that's not, uh, I just meant like…. The fact that you were able to connect the way our instincts work even with our human halves… most people think we're either one or the other, not both."

"Well they're stupid," Suga said with a little huff. "The way I see it, you guys aren't more of one than the other. There's a harmonious balance. You have the instincts and senses of your animal halves, but you also have the reasoning capabilities of a human that allows you to make decisions based on logic or information presented to you. So you don't rely solely on your instincts, but they're always there. Going against them actively, like Noya does, would get exhausting."

The pack leader was staring at the silver haired healer like he'd just revealed the secrets of the world to him, eyes wide.

"That's…. you're right. You are correct on all points."

"You sound so shocked."

"Well it's just… the only other humans to have ever understood us like that are the men of the Ukai family, and even then… it only took you a few hours to figure out what it took several months of interaction for the first Ukai to understand."

Suga looked surprised, cheeks turning a light pink.

"Maybe it's because I'm a healer…?" He suggested sheepishly, but Daichi just shook his head.

"I think it's just because of who you are, as a person."

Suga blushed more and turned away, looking over the group. Hinata and Kageyama seemed to be picking on each other and things looked like they were about to escalate to a wrestling match.

"Don't you dare wrestle near the fire!" Suga said sternly, standing up from the log he was sitting on and pointing towards the training area. "If you can't behave like mature adults, go over there!"

Kageyama and Hinata both flinched and made their way to the designated area, looking thoroughly scolded.

Watching Suga easily sort out the most energetic member of his pack, Daichi was pretty sure he was in love. Unaware of the pack leader's adoration, Suga huffed and sat back down.

"Children, I swear." He shook his head and turned to look at Daichi once more. "Bet you know all about it, being the pack leader."

Daichi chuckled and nodded.

"They can be a handful, but it's ok. I wouldn't have it any other way."

Suga smiled brightly at him and nodded.

"Yeah, me either."

Daichi admired the human as he looked into the fire, a fond smile on his face.

'… _..I'm doomed.'_

XXXXXX

Tsuki was pissed. It was bad enough that Daichi had allowed that damned Kageyama to live, but now there were _even more_ humans _._ He could hear them all outside, _mingling_ with the pathetic creatures, and dare he say it, _enjoying_ it. It disgusted him and he refused to be a part of it, lounging on the furs of his bed.

His sharp ears picked up the sound of approaching footsteps but there was no breeze to carry the scent in.

' _Probably that bleeding heart I call an alpha,'_ he thought to himself, rolling his eyes. He looked over his shoulder to look at the cave entrance and nearly shrieked when instead of seeing a pack mate he was greeted by the sight of one of the humans.

He growled and sat up, golden eyes flashing dangerously in the dim light of the cave. Tsuki felt a flash of satisfaction when the human flinched, but it was quickly replaced by annoyance when it didn't scurry away.

"What do you want?" He growled.

"Oh, uh, I just…" The dark haired man shifted his weight from foot to foot nervously.

"Spit it out," Tsuki hissed in annoyance.

"I just wanted to come and say hi… and maybe talk with you…"

"I have no interest in pathetic little humans, now go away."

"Even though your family lives as humans?"

Tsuki's eyes went wide and he stared at the human in horror.

"…what did you just say?"

"Your mom and brother… they're not human, are they? They're culpeo, like you… right?"

The blonde growled threateningly. Information like that could get his family killed!

"I won't tell anyone…"

"Let me guess, there's a price for your silence." Tsuki said, but Yamaguchi just shook his head.

"No, there's no price. I like your brother and mom. They're nice people and I wouldn't sabotage their lives in the village."

The culpeo stared down the human, making Yamaguchi squirm under the intense gaze. When he couldn't find any hint of deceit from the other, the fox just scoffed and looked away.

"So, how'd you figure it out?"

Yamaguchi smiled and walked closer, ignoring the small growl he got in response.

"Because I don't buy the 'spirit of the beast' story that Ukai made up. It just seemed too… convenient. That and your mother didn't seem at all fazed. She misses you a lot, but when anyone asks she just says you're where you belong. Maybe it's just me, but I think a regular human would be more concerned if they had a child born as a were-creature."

Tsuki frowned at the human but couldn't really deny the logic.

"… and I also over-heard Ukai talking to your mom, reporting back on your life with the pack and how Daichi had extended an offer to them to give up the human guise and join the pack." Yamaguchi admitted with a sheepish grin.

Tsuki thought maybe his eye was twitching as he stared at the grinning human.

"You're ridiculous," the blonde stated before looking away. Yamaguchi chuckled and walked closer, taking a seat beside the blonde and paying no mind to the glare he was given. He hummed and Tsuki was relieved when the human didn't seem to feel the need to chat, letting a comfortable silence fall between them.

XXXXXX

By the time Daichi called it a night it was well past the pack's usual bedtime. He'd gotten caught up talking with Suga, so much so that he didn't notice it getting dark until he found himself admiring the way the moonlight turned Suga's hair into a halo around his head.

Hinata of course started to complain as soon as Daichi spoke, saying he wasn't tired or ready for bed. It was Suga who stepped in though.

"That's quite enough, Hinata. It's plenty late already. Now go, off to bed with you." Suga made shooing motions with his hands and the orangette reluctantly headed for the cave, dragging his feet.

"I don't care if you're older," Suga turned to look at Noya who'd just opened his mouth. "You're going to bed too."

The little wolverine looked stunned and opened his mouth to speak again.

"No, I can't read minds. Now _go to bed._ " Noya's mouth closed with an audible click of his teeth before he trudged after the fox. Daichi watched it all go down, falling even more in love with the human as he rounded everyone up –human and werefolk alike- and sent them up to bed.

"… You'd be a good mother." Daichi blurted without thinking. Suga looked over at him and raised an eyebrow. The pack leader went bright red and he looked away.

"I mean uh, father… or whatever…" he murmured. The human threw his head back and laughed.

"I get told that a lot. Now come on, we need sleep too." Suga pushed at Daichi's shoulders, ushering him towards the caves. The pack leader chuckled a bit but went easily.

"Well, goodnight then." Suga said when it was time for them to separate into different caves.

"Yeah, uh, goodnight." Daichi responded. Suga smiled brightly and turned on his heel, going into the cave he and his friends had been assigned. Daichi watched him go only looking away when someone nudged him. He looked over and came face to face with a smirking Tanaka.

"Something caught your eye?" He teased.

Daichi blushed a bit.

"You know they can't stay," he said in response, going into the main cave before Tanaka had a chance to say anything.

Ennoshita caught up with his mate and took his hand.

"Come on, let's get to bed before that scary mom guy gives us shit." He chuckled. Tanaka laughed and nodded, the two walking hand-in-hand to the main cave.

"Who's taking Hinata tonight?" Daichi asked everyone once he was sure they were all there.

"Um, actually," they all looked over at the orangette when he spoke. "I was gonna go sleep with Kageyama…."

"Hinata, I don't think that's such a good idea…" Daichi protested. The fox gave him a stubborn look.

"Why not?"

"Because, what if they try to hurt you in your sleep?" Narita questioned.

"Kageyama won't do that, neither will his friends."

"I don't know, Hinata. There's a reason they're not staying in the main cave…"

"I'll go with him!" Noya exclaimed, picking up his blanket. "I'll crash with the big guy! He's obviously the most threatening of them."

"He's a total push over," Tanaka pointed out, shaking his head. "You just wanna get in his pants."

"That too," Noya said with a shrug. Daichi sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "There's not enough room in that cave for you guys to join. There wasn't really enough room for just the humans by themselves."

"Why not bring Kageyama over here then?" Tanaka suggested, bringing everyone's attention to him. "Then we can keep an eye on Hinata, and Noya can stay with the humans to keep an eye on them." Daichi thought it over before finally nodding.

"Ok, that'll work." The alpha turned to go to the humans' cave, Noya following with his blanket in hand. Hinata trailed after them excitedly.

XX

Suga looked over at the entrance when Daichi appeared with Noya and Hinata in tow.

"Change of arrangements; Noya is gonna stay in here with you guys. Kageyama, you're with us in the big cave." The pack leader explained. Everyone looked a little surprised but complied, Kageyama grabbing his blanket and heading out, Hinata leading him back to the main cave.

Noya grinned and went over to where Kageyama's spot had been, conveniently right next to Asahi.

"Alright; good night everyone." Daichi waved. Everyone bid him goodnight and he disappeared. Noya looked at Asahi and grinned broadly, making the human falter a little as he slid down into his own bed.

"Uh, hi…" the big man greeted, blushing a little.

"Hi~" Noya scooted closer, making the human turn an even brighter red.

Suga chuckled a bit as they all settled into their spots. He and Iwaizumi ended up nearly spooning, but neither of them really cared. Besides, they had a feeling something interesting was gonna happen with the wolverine and their oh-so-timid friend.

XXX

The moon was high in the sky, shining down upon the Karasuno den when Asahi felt the wolverine beside him move closer. Everyone else had fallen asleep just about an hour ago, but he'd been unable to, thoughts of the outgoing wolverine with electrifying eyes filling his head.

He turned his head towards the sound of movement, unable to see anything in the darkness of the cave. A hand settled on his chest, sliding across to the opposite side as a small body moved closer. The bigger man could feel the other kneeling just above him, but he wasn't scared.

Something inside him knew the other meant him no harm, and he reacted without letting his head get in the way when a pair of surprisingly soft lips met his. One hand found the other's knee where it was almost pressed against his side and he started to slide his hand up until he found Noya's ribs. His other hand came up as well and he pulled the smaller body onto his, Noya moving willingly.

****BEGINNING OF SMUT****

As they broke apart, a small voice in the back of his head told Asahi he shouldn't be doing this with someone he just met, much less a were-creature, but it was drowned out when Noya's legs opened and the smaller brunette was straddling his lower stomach.

Asahi gripped Noya's slender hips as the wolverine leaned forward and captured his lips again. It was addicting, he thought to himself as he swiped his tongue against the seam of Noya's lips, requesting access. Their tongues met in the centre in a passionate kiss that left both of them panting when Noya finally pulled away.

Slender hands found their way down to Asahi's pants and rubbed him teasingly through the thick fabric. One big hand left Noya's hips to cover Asahi's mouth as the big man tried not to make any noise. It'd be bad if his friends were to wake up now.

Noya grinned as he watched, his superior senses allowing him to see the human as he shimmied himself down to sit on his upper thighs. Before Asahi had a chance to respond, one of those wicked hands slid into his pants, deft fingers stealing his breath as they wrapped around his quickly growing member.

Asahi was grateful for the fact that he'd already been covering his mouth, or the sound he made would've definitely woken up the others. He couldn't see in the dark, but something told him there was a devilish grin on the wolverine's face as he started to pump him.

The taller man must have made some sort of move that indicated his desire to spread his legs, because the hand disappeared as Noya suddenly lifted himself before sliding in between his thighs when they opened.

Noya hummed softly and wrapped his hand back around the other mans impressive girth and started to pump again as he shifted down onto his tummy. When he was sure Asahi was thoroughly hard and muffling himself he leaned in and took the swollen head between his lips and sucked.

Asahi cried out in surprise and while the sound was muffled, he still tensed, thinking he'd for sure woken someone. A soft tap on his thigh was enough reassurance from Noya and he relaxed a bit, trusting the wolverine's sharp senses to keep track of the others.

' _I should stop him… this isn't right…'_ Asahi bit down on his thumb when a hard suck pulled him away from that particular line of thought and he had to fight to keep his hips from moving when Noya started bobbing his head. There was something intoxicating about the man between his legs. He'd realized it at some point when they were sitting by the fire that even though the smaller man intimidated him, he found himself inexplicably drawn to him.

Noya couldn't help but growl softly as the delicious musk that made up the man's natural scent filled his nose. The wolverine loved it, and the place the smell was strongest was right there between his legs.

The vibrations caused by the growl sent pleasure shooting through the human as he slid a hand down, fingers lacing into Noya's hair. The wolverine started to bob even faster, sucking hard every time he brought his head back up.

The heat pooling in his gut was threatening to overflow and Asahi tugged lightly at Noya's hair, then more desperately when the wolverine didn't pull away. Another hard suck took the last of his control and he couldn't stop himself from spilling into Noya's mouth.

Asahi was mortified but slightly turned on when the wolverine swallowed around him before pulling off with a lewd pop. The human turned bright red and covered his face with his hands as his brain caught up with everything that had happened. He vaguely registered deft hands tucking him back in before Noya climbed up to lay on his chest and started to nibble at his fingers.

****END OF SMUT****

The brunette reluctantly moved his hands and let them settle on his new lover's back as dampened lips started to trail along his neck.

"Noya…" he whispered softly only to hold his breath when the wolverine latched onto his neck and started to suck. When Noya pulled away he was satisfied to see he'd left a nice big hickey behind.

"There," he purred softly before leaning up and kissing the taller man with surprising gentleness. Asahi kissed back, sliding one hand into the back of the were-creatures hair. When they finally parted, Noya settled himself down on Asahi's chest, his head tucked under his chin.

"Night, Asahi." He hummed. The big brunette smiled, hands running up and down Noya's back.

"Night, Noya."

XXXXXXXXX

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor Asahi... haha hope you guys don't mind that they got together so quickly, but I think it suits Noya. Thanks for reading this far!!


	9. Chapter 7

Sleeping in a cramped cave with three out of four of his closest friends was definitely a new experience for Sugawara Koushi, but he couldn't find it in himself to say it was an unpleasant one. He'd always slept better with another person around, and the combined body heat of his friends and their werefolk companion had left the cave nice and cozy throughout the night.

The silver haired man yawned as he sat up slowly, stretching his arms over his head. He wasn't sure what time it was, but the sun was up and brightening the inside of the cave. A glance around told him he was the first awake and he somehow wasn't surprised to see that Asahi wasn't alone in his furs.

Movement to his left drew his attention to Iwaizumi who was starting to stir a bit. Carefully, Suga pulled his own furs off and draped them over his friend before getting up and making his way out of the cave on silent feet. He grabbed his boots from the entrance of the cave and carried them with him as he made his way down towards the pit where he could see someone else sitting.

"Morning," he greeted as he got closer. Daichi looked over his shoulder and nodded.

"Good morning, Sugawara. How'd you sleep?"

"Good, actually; I've always liked sleeping around other people, so even though it was a bit cramped I was warm all night and having everyone so close put me right to sleep. In fact, I don't recall having ever slept so well before." He admitted.

Daichi looked surprised but nodded.

"I know how that is. There's something about being able to hear everyone's breathing even out and their heart rates slow down that I find soothing." Daichi smiled as he spoke. Suga smiled back and nodded as he sat down on the log next to the alpha.

"Is anyone else awake?" He asked, looking around.

"Tanaka and Ennoshita are up. They went out for a walk a little while ago. What about you guys?" The dark haired man nodded towards the small cave for emphasis.

"Everyone's still asleep up there, though Iwaizumi might wake up soon."

"I'm surprised Noya isn't awake yet," Daichi commented only to raise an eyebrow when Suga gave a little grin.

"Even if he is, I doubt he'll be down any time soon. Asahi likes to sleep in." The human said in a sly tone.

Daichi stared at the silver haired man in confusion before his eyes went wide.

"You don't mean- they aren't-" The pack leader sounded desperate to be wrong.

"Maybe they were just cold, but they were _pretty close_ when I looked over."

Daichi stared at him in horror for a moment before sighing and dropping his head into his hands. Suga reached over and pat the man's back consolingly.

"So… what're we gonna do?" He asked after a little while, drawing another sigh from the pack leader.

"We'll talk with them once they're awake."

"Okay," Suga nodded in understanding. The humans were leaving today, after all. It wouldn't be good if Asahi and Noya formed any sort of emotional bond.

XXX

In the main cave, Kageyama was fighting desperately against an unknown force that deemed fit to wake him from his slumber. As his brain slowly came on line, he realized something –or maybe someone- was poking and prodding at him.

It took a few more moments, but a voice slowly filtered into his consciousness.

"-ama… Kageyama… wake up!"

With a groan, one blue eye cracked open and searched for the source of the disturbance. It took all of a second for him to spot the sunshine orange hair hovering above him and he groaned even louder.

"I'm trying to sleep," he grumped, rolling onto his other side, away from the obnoxiously energetic fox. It was a moot effort though, as Hinata crawled over top him to once again be in front.

"Come oooooon, Kageyamaaaaaaa," the fox whined and flopped on top of the human who scowled before sighing in defeat.

"Alright fine, I'll get up. Now get off of me, dumbass!"

Hinata grinned and jumped up to his feet, bouncing in place with his barely contained energy.

"You're a pain," Kageyama informed him as he slowly pulled himself from the warmth of the furs.

"I know," Hinata chirped with a blinding grin. The human grunted in annoyance and yawned once more before slowly making his way to the cave entrance.

Before his friends had arrived from the human village, the pack had announced that he'd be given his own animal-skin garments to wear during his time with them. The arrival of the other humans had put a halt on things, but Narita finished the clothes by bedtime, so he'd spent the night in a mid-length skirt-like bottom and a top. His human clothes and boots had been taken and hidden somewhere, leaving him barefoot as he followed Hinata down the slope of the cliff side.

"Morning you two," Daichi greeted them. Suga looked over and was a little surprised by Kageyama's new outfit.

"That's a good look for you, Kageyama. It suits you."

The black haired human blushed a little.

"Thank you…"

Suga grinned at him in response, Hinata doing the same.

"Told you~" He sing-songed. He'd told the human last night that he liked the clothes on him, but Kageyama had been hesitant about his… _bits_ being so open without underwear.

"Shut up, dumbass." Kageyama gave the fox a shove but Hinata was unfazed, laughing cheerfully.

"Pretty much everyone else is awake and down at the river washing up." Suga stood and ushered them in the direction of the river.

Hinata of course complained about having to go wash, but Suga was having none of it and sent them off. Daichi once again found himself in awe of the human's ability to assert his authority over others, even his pack mates.

"Now it's just Asahi and Noya." Suga announced, looking up at the cave. Daichi sighed for the umpteenth time and nodded.

"Let's… go deal with them."

The two got up and made their way to the cave. When they stepped inside, Noya was awake and looking at them from his position lying on Asahi's chest. He looked sheepish, though entirely unapologetic.

The human was still asleep, arms wrapped around the smaller mans lower back. Noya leaned down, keeping his eyes firmly on Daichi as he started to gently kiss the human awake.

Asahi responded happily as he woke, eyes slowly fluttering open and cheeks going pink.

"M-morning…" he murmured shyly. Noya grinned down at him in response.

"Good morning~" Noya pecked his nose. "Sorry to wake you, but we have company." The wolverine nodded towards the entrance and Asahi turned bright red when he looked over and saw his childhood friend and the pack leader standing there. Suga looked exasperated while Daichi looked frustrated, arms crossed as he stared the wolverine down.

"We need to talk," the alpha said sternly.

Asahi frowned and tightened his arms a little more around his partner.

"It's ok, Asahi," Noya gave the human a light kiss before squirming to sit up. "I'll be right back, ok?"

Reluctantly, Asahi nodded and let go. He sat up and watched as Daichi turned on his heel and walked out, Noya following behind him.

Suga sighed and walked over, lowering himself onto the mat beside Asahi's.

"I was gonna ask you how you felt about him, but…" Suga shook his head. The happiness on Asahi's face when he'd woken up to Noya's kisses had told him everything he needed to know.

Asahi sighed and hung his head.

"I'm sorry, Suga. I… I don't even know how it happened, but I… I think I'm in love with Nishinoya…"

Suga nodded a bit and put a hand on Asahi's shoulder.

"You've always been a hopeless romantic, so I'm somehow not surprised that you've fallen in love so quickly."

"Do you think I'm wrong?" Asahi asked nervously.

"No, I don't. I think you should follow your heart, and if Nishinoya is where it leads you, then I'll support it. Unfortunately though, it's not up to me. Noya is a were-creature and a member of the Karasuno clan. In the end, it's Daichi who has the final call in a situation like this. Whether you'll be allowed to stay is completely up to him."

Asahi looked down at his lap and nodded sadly.

"He didn't look too happy just now…."

The healer reached a hand over and squeezed his knee.

"Don't worry, Asahi. Daichi's a reasonable guy, and if he saw the same thing I did, then I have no doubt he'll do what's right."

XXX

Daichi led the way around to the back of the cliff, well out of the human's hearing range before stopping. He leaned back against the rock, arms crossed as Noya came to a stop in front of him. He opened his mouth to speak but was cut off.

"I love him." Noya said firmly, arms crossed and expression determined. The pack leader looked at him and they had a stare down until finally Daichi sighed and let his head fall back against the rock.

"He's a human, Noya." It was a fruitless argument, but he couldn't help but try.

"I know," Noya nodded a bit. "But I knew the moment I smelled him… he's mine. I won't give him up, and if you ask me to, I'll leave the pack."

Hearing the conviction in his pack member's voice, Daichi knew he was defeated. He let out a deep sigh but tilted his head back down to look at the wolverine.

"He'll be your responsibility, the same way Kageyama is Hinata's. I can't ask the pack to take care of a human."

Noya's face lit up and he nodded eagerly.

"I will, I promise!"

Daichi pushed off the rock and nodded.

"Good, let's go back then."

XXX

Asahi and Suga were sitting in silence as they waited for the return of the werefolk. They were startled a bit when Noya came barreling in and Asahi had barely enough time to brace himself as the wolverine threw himself into the bigger mans arms.

Relief washed through him as Asahi realized the emotion radiating from the wolverine was happiness. He brought his arms up and wrapped them around the smaller male, squeezing tight.

Daichi entered the cave a moment later and smiled at the sight. Suga stood and went over to Daichi, the smile on his face telling the alpha that they'd come to the same conclusion.

"The village elders are gonna lose their minds," Suga said with a chuckle as the two of them made their way out of the cave to give the new lovers some time to celebrate the good news.

"I bet," the leader shook his head lightly. "That reminds me; it smells like it's gonna storm tonight, so I think it'd be wise for you and your group to stay another day. This forest is treacherous enough already for your kind; adding a thunder storm to the equation is just risky."

Suga looked pleasantly surprised and nodded.

"You're right, it'd be pretty ironic to survive a night with werefolk only to die of exposure or something," the healer laughed a bit. Daichi agreed and laughed with him.

"That settles it then; you and your group can stay one more night."

XXX

Down at the river the rest of the pack and the few humans were washing themselves in the water. It was sunny at the moment, but the clouds in the distance promised a nasty storm so they were soaking up the sunlight while they could.

A black panther appeared at the border, startling Iwaizumi who was the first to spot it.

"Uh… guys…?" Once he had everyone's attention, he pointed.

"Kenma!" Hinata cheered and ran out of the river and towards the panther who stepped out of the trees to meet the energetic fox half way. Sharp, golden orange eyes wandered over to Iwaizumi, then to Yamaguchi and finally to Kageyama.

"They're humans!" Hinata grinned and started to point them out, introducing them as he went.

"Kageyama's mine, but the others are his friends who came to find him!"

"I'm not 'yours', dumbass!" Kageyama protested loudly. Hinata blinked innocently in confusion.

"But… Daichi said I had to take care of you…"

Kenma nudged Hinata's hip before the two could get into an argument and the fox looked back at his friend. A look was enough for him to know what Kenma wanted and he nodded in understanding before shifting into his fox form.

" _Kageyama… he's the one you saved a while ago?"_

Hinata nodded at him.

" _And he came back?"_

The fox nodded again and sat down.

" _He said he feels at home here, more than he does with the humans. I believe him, and I think so does Daichi."_

Kenma looked over at the dark haired human and studied him for a moment before turning his attention back to Hinata.

" _So Daichi is letting him stay?"_

" _Well, sort of. He's on a 'trial period', and we'll vote at the end of the week to decide if he stays. I'm sure everyone will vote for him to stay though," he grinned._

Kenma looked out at everyone, splashing and picking on one another, the humans included and couldn't help but agree. The trees rustled and a slightly larger black panther stepped out, walking over to join Kenma and Hinata.

" _Kuroo!"_ Hinata barked excitedly.

" _Hey pup,"_ Kuroo dipped his head down to lick a strip between Hinata's ears, the fox's tail wagging happily.

" _I'm just here to bring Kenma home,"_ the king explained, looking over at his mate. _"It's supposed to storm soon, so we should get to shelter."_ He said to his mate.

Kenma nodded in understanding then looked at Hinata.

" _You guys should hurry back before the storm hits,"_ the smaller panther said. Hinata nodded and looked back to see everyone out of the water and getting dressed.

" _Ok, see you guys!"_ Hinata said. Kuroo gave him another lick before he and Kenma disappeared back across their border. Hinata turned and trotted over to the rest of the pack. He changed forms once he was with them and they all made a beeline towards the den as the sky grew darker.

"Were those panthers werefolk as well?" Kageyama asked Hinata as they jogged through the trees.

"Yup! The bigger one is Kuroo, the leader of the Nekomata clan. The other one is his mate, Kenma!" Hinata told him enthusiastically.

Kageyama nodded and committed the names to memory, though he doubted he'd be able to recognize them again.

XXX

Daichi looked up at the darkening sky and frowned. He certainly didn't like the looks of those clouds… He looked to the trees when he heard his pack coming. It sounded like they were all in human form, but with three real humans in their midst, he wasn't angry.

"Alright everyone," he called as they entered the clearing. "That storm is going to be nasty. Grab as many furs as we have and bring them all to the main cave. We'll have to bunker down and try to wait it out."

Everyone hurried to comply, heading up to the caves. They set up a sort of chain, passing furs from the storage cave and down a line of people to the main cave. It didn't take long at all, but even in the few minutes they spent transferring the furs the clouds had drawn closer and closer, the first few raindrops hitting the ground.

"Everyone into the cave," Daichi ordered, hurrying up to the cave as everyone made their way in. A quick head count confirmed that everyone was present and Daichi sat down against a wall with a sigh.

"Looks like this is gonna be a rough one," Ennoshita commented. Several nodded their agreement.

The rain outside picked up before the first flash of lightning lit up the cave and everyone braced for the thunder. With nothing to do but wait it out, conversation picked up around the cave.

"Sooooooooo, Noya~" Tanaka's voice was mischievous.

Noya looked over at Tanaka, trying -and failing- to look innocent.

"Yes, Tanaka?"

"Care to explain why Asahi has your smell all over him?"

Everyone looked over, a few sniffing the air curiously.

"…he got cold last night so I shared my body heat."

"Oh, that makes sense. And I assume his crotch is where he got the coldest, right?"

Asahi's face went bright red as all eyes turned to him and he could hear the inhales as the many werefolk scented the air, Hinata actually leaning in closer to him.

Noya looked like he was trying to think of a plausible explanation before he finally just shrugged.

"Yeah ok, I sucked his dick." The wolverine said bluntly. There were a few laughs, a few gasps, and an eye roll from Tsuki as Asahi choked on his own spit.

"Whoo! Get it, Noya!" Tanaka laughed, high fiving his grinning friend.

Hinata was laughing with the others, but his cheeks were pink. Sexual acts weren't a taboo like in the human culture and it wasn't unusual to stumble across a mated pair having sex, but that didn't mean he was used to it being mentioned so casually.

Daichi chuckled and pat Hinata's shoulder.

"Noya, you shouldn't talk like that, you're making Hinata uncomfortable." Suga scolded.

"Sorry, Hinata." Noya smiled.

"I-I'm fine," Hinata protested, shaking his head.

Kageyama rolled his eyes a bit at the fox but couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed as well.

XXX

About an hour later found the wind changing direction and bringing rain in through the cave opening.

"Everyone move back," Daichi ordered, standing and ushering everyone further into the cave. They all obliged, gathering furs and skins and scooting along the floor until they were as far in as they could all go. It was a bit more cramped, but no one complained. The shared body heat was a relief to them all.

Daichi looked over his pack and smiled a bit as everyone made themselves comfortable. Tanaka and Ennoshita were sitting pressed against one another while Noya had found his way into Asahi's lap. Hinata and Kageyama were close too, their bodies touching from their hips to their ankles. Most surprising of all though, was Tsukishima, leaning against the cave wall with the meek, dark haired human beside him.

Some time passed and several members of the pack dozed off, comforted by the heat and proximity of their pack mates. Daichi was happy to see that Sugawara was one of them, the silver haired human leaning against his side.

XXXXX

Takeda Ittetsu watched the clouds brew in the distance and nearly sighed in relief. With a storm rolling in, there's no way Keishin would venture into the forest. Takeda turned on his heel and made him way down to the bedroom to find his partner.

"Keishin, my love," he called as he walked in. The blonde Ukai was sitting up at the edge of the bed but still mostly asleep, waking slowly. He looked over when Takeda walked in and hummed questioningly.

"There's a nasty storm brewing… it looks like it'll be here in less than an hour." The teacher reported. Keishin frowned and ran a hand down his face tiredly.

"That's no good," he mumbled, voice still gruff with sleep. Takeda went over and slid himself in the space between Keishin's thighs and the blonde rested his head against his chest. The dark haired man smiled and ran his fingers through his beloved's hair.

"I don't want you going out there in this storm," he told him, one hand sliding from his hair to rub between his shoulders. Keishin gave a tired grunt and it was as good as an agreement for the teacher who smiled and kissed the top of his head before pushing Keishin's shoulders and side, helping the sleepy man maneuver back into bed before he slid in next to him and pulled the covers up.

"Love you," Keishin murmured, eyes already closed as he pulled the smaller man closer. Takeda smiled and returned the sentiment before starting to fall asleep.

XXXXX

Waking up in a close-packed group of people was once again a pleasant experience for a certain healer, who smiled softly as he opened his eyes. He was comfy and warm, tucked up against the alpha.

Everyone had managed to wiggle down into prone positions, but the spaces between bodies were pretty much non-existent as they all pressed to one another for heat. Even with so many bodies, the raging storm outside had dropped the temperature enough that the people along the edges of the cuddle puddle had gotten a little chilled.

He was one of the ones near the outside, Daichi pressed into his back, making him the smaller spoon. The alpha had done it that way on purpose, making himself the closest to the cold and the first one to face any danger that may come in.

Suga yawned and pressed his forehead against Asahi's back, the bigger man being the next closest to him. Noya was tucked in the curve of Asahi's loosely curled body, face buried in his chest. Next in the pile was Hinata, who slept back to back with Noya and half-flopped across Kageyama who was sleeping on his back.

Tanaka and Ennoshita were cuddled up together on the other side of the human, their backs turned to Yamaguchi, who was lying back to back with Tsuki. Above their heads, Iwaizumi, Kinnoshita and Narita were laying horizontally in the space between the pack and the back wall of the cave, with Yachi and Kiyoko tucked behind them. They were all sort of half draped over one another, starting with Narita and ending with Kinnoshita's head tucked beside Ennoshita's.

Suga sat up slowly, carefully moving Daichi's arms from around him. The alpha was awake almost immediately and looking up at Suga, who smiled apologetically when he noticed. The alpha sat up as well and looked out through the cave entrance, smiling when he saw sunlight.

The two of them got to their feet and made their way out of the cave without a word. It probably wouldn't be long until the rest of the pack woke, but that didn't mean they were going to wake them on purpose.

Suga stepped outside and took a deep breath, inhaling the scent of the forest after a rainfall.

"I love that smell," he commented, looking over at Daichi as they made their way down from the cave.

"Me too," Daichi said. They hadn't even made it to the pit when noise came from the cave a moment before Noya and Hinata barreled out, cheering in excitement when they were met with sunrays.

"Well, that didn't take long," Daichi commented, hearing the many groans and complaints from inside the cave as the boisterous duo's yelling woke the others. Suga laughed and shook his head.

"Those two are such children," he said as he laughed.

"You're not wrong," the alpha responded, laughing with him.

Suga put a hand on the logs used as benches and sighed when he found the wood still wet.

"Well, we'll have to find somewhere else to sit for dinner," he announced. Daichi huffed a bit but nodded.

"We can sit up on the cliff, the rock is dry enough." He replied, looking up to the cave where several pack members were emerging into the sunlight. Sugawara watched them as well and something inside of him felt complete as he looked over everyone.

XoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoX


	10. Chapter 8

The stone was cold and damp under Kageyama's bare feet as he stepped out of the cave and onto the outcropping in front of it. He had to blink away yawn-induced tears in order to take in the sights before him.

And what wonderful sights they were… The ground was still wet from the rain and water droplets clung to the leaves of the nearby trees and foliage, making them shimmer in the afternoon sun. In the main grounds below, Kageyama spotted Suga standing near the pit, Daichi beside him as the two chatted. Noya and Hinata, ever the energetic monsters, were already causing a ruckus.

"Don't even start, you two!" Suga scolded as Noya pounced on Hinata. "Go!" he ordered, pointing towards the training circle.

Kageyama watched in sleepy amusement as the two scrambled over each other to run away from the scary human, tumbling into the training area with Tanaka joining them eagerly.

"This place is nice."

The black haired human startled and looked to his left where Iwaizumi had seemingly appeared out of nowhere.

"Yes, it is," Kageyama agreed. "It's nothing like what I'd imagined a werewolf den to be, and yes it's exactly what I pictured."

"I know what you mean," Iwaizumi said with a chuckle.

A comfortable silence fell between the old friends before Iwaizumi spoke up again.

"You seem happy, Kageyama." He turned to look at the taller man, appraising him. "Happier than I've ever seen you. More comfortable in your own skin."

Kageyama flushed a bit and rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.

"Yeah, well… I think I am. Happy I mean." Dark blue eyes cast their view to the scenery once more. "I've spent so long staring at this forest from the outside, I almost can't believe I'm actually here." Kageyama's voice went softer than usual as he spoke. "It's like a dream, and yet this place feels more real to me than any other place I've ever set foot." The younger male finished and looked over at his friend, only to find Iwaizumi staring at him in shock.

"W-What?!" he questioned, leaning away from him, suddenly feeling self-conscious.

"Nothing, it's just I think that's the most I've ever heard you say at once, ever." Iwaizumi laughed as a blush spread across Kageyama's cheeks and he smacked his back. "I think this place will be good for you." He declared before walking away, leaving Kageyama confused but happy in his wake.

XXXXXX

"Getting everyone to bed tonight after sleeping a good chunk of the day is gonna be a nightmare." Daichi said, dread in his tone as he watched Tanaka, Noya and Hinata wrestle around, getting themselves covered in dirt and grass.

"Maybe they'll tire themselves out…?" Suga asked hopefully. The look Daichi gave him was enough of an answer and he sighed in resignation. "It was a nice thought."

"That it was," Daichi agreed with a wistful sigh.

"You know… they'll need a bath before bed anyways…" The grey haired human mused out loud.

Daichi looked over at Suga and nodded, indicating for him to continue his thought.

"Playing around in the water uses most of the muscles in the body, so it's pretty exhausting." He said. "I bet we could come up with some fun water activities for everyone."

The pack leader looked at Suga appraisingly. "That's a good idea, actually."

"Why, thank you," Suga gave him a little grin. "I'm known to get them occasionally."

"I get the feeling it's more than just 'occasionally'," he said with a bit of a smile.

The healer gave a little grin and a shrug.

"You say that, unaware that it was my idea to chase after Kageyama into this forest in the first place." He gestured to the human in question, who was descending from the cave.

"While that may not have been the wisest move, no one can doubt your loyalty. To follow a friend into what should've been certain death… Well, it may be foolish, but it's an admirable trait none-the-less."

Suga's cheeks were red as Daichi finished talking and he ducked his head sheepishly.

"I thought you'd be more upset that your safe haven is being invaded."

"I was," he assured, "but you guys aren't so bad. For humans." He tacked the last bit on with a teasing nudge.

"Awwwww, you like theeeeeem!" Tanaka crowed, having come up with Noya and Hinata while the two were talking.

"That's not what I said," he huffed but then waved off any retorts. "What did you guys need?" There was no need for anyone to answer as Hinata's stomach growled loudly, pulling laughter from Noya and Tanaka.

"Is that a panther I hear?!"

"I didn't know Nekoma was here!"

"Stop razzing him, you two!" Suga scolded, waving a fist around.

Daichi couldn't help but laugh with his packmates, but choked it back quickly when Suga fixed him with a stern glare, hands on his hips.

"Right, uh," Daichi cleared his throat, "Noya, Tanaka, you two take Ennoshita and go hunting. I don't want to eat from our stores just in case another storm hits."

Tanaka and Noya gave nods and mock salutes before heading out, gathering Ennoshita along the way.

Suga watched the go with an amused smile before looking at Daichi. "You're not so bad yourself. For a man eating monster, that is." He elbowed him playfully before sauntering off to check on Kageyama and his other human friends.

XXXXXXX

Kiyoko and Yachi shared a look and a smile as they watched Daichi interact with Suga.

"Those two sure seem to be getting along, don't you think?" Yachi looked over at her mate as she spoke.

"Yeah," Kiyoko nodded and smiled. "I hope that means they'll all be staying… they fit nicely, and even Tsuki has made a friend." She gestured in the direction of their Culpeo pack mate, who was talking to Yamaguchi about something. Yachi smiled.

"You're right, it's weird to see him talking to anyone so much, especially with how much he was against having the humans here." The girls shared their moment of mutual awe before going back to their tasks.

XXXXXXX

Kageyama looked around the den grounds as everyone worked together to get things ready for dinner. Noya, Ennoshita and Tanaka had gone out to find food for them all while everyone else split up into groups to clean up debris and broken branches that the storm had brought in and to find some wood dry enough to get a fire going.

It was his second day with the pack, and even though they'd spent a good chunk of it huddled up in the cave, he'd enjoyed it. He liked being here, with the werefolk. He felt so much more comfortable among them than he ever had with humans and it soothed something inside of him knowing he'd finally found a place in the world he'd always felt so far away from.

"Kageyama," Hinata sing-songed as he skipped over and stopped beside him. "Are you getting used to the clothes?"

Kageyama looked down at himself then back to Hinata, nodding. He owed everything to this fox, the one who'd given him this opportunity. The one who'd spared his life and then vouched for it.

"That's good. Now you just need to get some muscles to show off," The orangette snickered and poked at his chest.

On second thought, he owed him nothing. Hinata yelped and tried to escape as Kageyama grabbed his head.

Tsuki looked over and rolled his eyes at the two, Yamaguchi looking as well and laughing.

"It's nice to see Kageyama getting along so well with someone." The human commented.

"You call that getting along?" Tsuki raised an eyebrow and looked back over to the two, who were now on the ground and wrestling around.

"Yup! Kageyama's always been so distant from everybody. We've been friends since we were kids and he would never touch me so casually. That's just how it's always been, so it's nice that he seems to be opening up with Hinata."

Tsuki looked at the annoying duo with a new perspective and had to nod a bit.

"Guess that makes sense… still annoying though." He scoffed and went back to gathering broken branches. Yamaguchi giggled and helped him.

XXXXXXX

"More clouds," Iwaizumi commented, looking up at the sky. Asahi followed his line of sight and sighed.

"Yeah... At least this one will be overnight instead of the middle of the day. Hopefully you'll all be able to leave tomorrow."

Iwaizumi looked at Asahi for a moment. "So you're really staying then?"

The large brunette sighed a little and looked over at his friend, nodding.

"I really am." He confirmed. "I know it's sudden, but I won't leave Noya."

The shorter man gave a little hum under his breath and then nodded, looking away.

"Very well." He accepted, patting Asahi's shoulder before walking away.

"Asahiiiiii!"

There was only a moment's notice for Asahi to brace himself as Noya jumped on him. The taller male chuckled a bit as he caught him, wrapping his arms around a slender waist and holding him.

"Back from hunting?" he questioned, walking towards the pit with his precious cargo.

"Yup! We got a deer!"

"Good job," he praised, rubbing his back. The amused and fond looks they got as they joined the gathering pack made Asahi blush, but he made no move to set Noya down. Not that the feisty man would let him anyways.

"Alright, everyone settle down." Daichi ordered. "The logs are still too wet to sit on, so once you've gotten your share, find somewhere dry to settle down."

Once everyone had given an affirmative of some sort, Daichi nodded.

"Everyone line up."

As was tradition, the youngest members went first which meant that naturally Hinata and Kageyama raced to try and be the front of the line while Tsuki just rolled his eyes. Yamaguchi laughed as he lined up with Tsuki.

Kageyama managed to use his larger size to his advantage and grinned triumphantly.

Suga laughed a bit as he grabbed one of the makeshift skewers that surrounded the fire and handed it to Kageyama who thanked him and went to find somewhere to sit.

Hinata joined him before long, plopping down on the outcrop in front of the main cave where Kageyama had settled.

Most of the pack ended up there, only Tsuki going elsewhere, followed by Yamaguchi.

"It's gonna storm again tonight," Daichi said. "Hopefully it'll pass by morning, but we'll all stay together in the main cave again so we can keep warm." He announced as everyone was digging in. "Kiyoko, Yachi, if you don't mind, whatever isn't eaten of that deer can you guys get wrapped up and put away?"

"Of course, Daichi." The older of the girls, a beautiful woman with long black hair, smiled at him.

Kageyama took a look at the girls curiously. He'd seen them around of course, but they didn't seem to have a huge role in the pack, just keeping to themselves for the most part. They'd also helped Narita craft his clothing, so there was that too.

"What kind of animals are they?" Kageyama asked, leaning into Hinata a bit.

The orange haired man followed Kageyama's line of sight to the girls and smiled.

"They're raccoons!" he exclaimed loudly, making the girls look over curiously. Kiyoko smiled a little while Yachi waved shyly.

The black haired human waved awkwardly.

Hinata was entirely unfazed by Kageyama's awkwardness and started talking about life in the forest, going on about the different clans and critters and what not. Kageyama absorbed the information like a sponge, eager to learn about his new home. Because that's what it was. His new home. He may be on a week trial, but he knew he was gonna do everything in his power to make sure he proved himself to the clan. He didn't want to leave.

"-ama! Kageyama!" a harsh shove interrupted his musings and he turned to Hinata with a huff, raising an eyebrow.

"What is it?" he asked, noticing movement all around them.

"Bath time!" Suga chirped from behind them, Hinata jumping up to his feet.

"Oh," Kageyama got to his feet, following the herd as they deposited their skewers by the fire and then headed to the river.

"I'm not looking forward to a cold bath," Suga complained as they walked.

"Oh come on! It's not so bad!" Tanaka piped up, throwing an arm around Suga's shoulders. "It's refreshing!"

"Yeah! And if you get too cold, I'm sure Daichi would love to share some body heat with you!" Noya piped up from where he was hanging on Asahi's back.

Daichi promptly tripped over his own feet in shock and Suga just laughed as the rest of the pack –sans Tsuki- laughing with him.

"Last one in the water's a rotten carcass!" Tanaka declared with a whoop as he pulled his top off. Hinata, Noya, and surprisingly Kageyama were all quick to undress and run into the water.

"Ha! I win!" Hinata declared.

"No, I win dumbass!" Kageyama argued.

"Nu uh! I was in way before you!"

"You were not!" Kageyama roared and launched himself at Hinata, the two of them immediately starting to wrestle around, shoving, splashing and dunking one another under the water.

Tanaka laughed and soon he and Noya were doing the same, though they were kept under the watchful eyes of Asahi, who feared for his tiny lover, and Ennoshita who just rolled his eyes fondly.

"Well…. That's a good start," Suga commented as he undressed slowly, watching the chaos in the water.

Daichi chuckled and nodded. "I swear him and Hinata have been going since the moment I agreed to let him stay."

"Oh yeah?" Suga grinned. "It's amazing, I've never seen Kageyama so…" he paused to think of a descriptor, "open." He decided on. "He's always been so reserved and inverted. So this," a wave towards where Kageyama was, Hinata on his back and laughing, "is a side of him I've never seen."

"Really?" The pack leader looked over at Kageyama with a new sense of appreciation.

"Anyways, you're the rotten carcass!" Suga said suddenly, making Daichi look around to realize that the rest of the pack was in the water already, Suga himself grinning cheekily as he walked into the water.

The stocky brunette had a moment to feel indignation before he just shook his head and laughed with them all. They'd been doing that a lot the past two days. Laughing.

Daichi undressed and slid into the water, looking around at his pack of ragtag were-creatures and the humans they were sheltering and felt warmth bloom in his chest. And if some of that warmth got stronger when he caught the eyes of a certain healer… well, who was gonna tell?

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, now that A03 is caught up to what I have posted on FF . net it'll be longer between updates since i've gotta actually write them out. Sorry if this feels slow. This is technically the first new chapter since 2017.


	11. Chapter 9

With another storm brewing, it was decided the humans would join the pack in the main cave once again, and everyone piled in when Daichi called for bedtime. Noya and Hinata had tried to protest, but a sharp glare from Suga had them hustling up the cliff without further complaint.

Daichi was once again awed by the human and could only stand in the mouth of the cave and watch idly as everyone was successfully wrangled and arranged inside the cave.

A throat cleared next to him and Daichi looked over to see Asahi there.

“He’s always been like that,” he said with a smile.

“I’m not surp—I mean, uh who? Like what?” Daichi quickly tried to feign ignorance, glancing around the cave as though studying everyone.

Asahi laughed and pat Daichi’s back. “Anyways, I just wanted to stop and say thank you… for letting me stay here I mean. I know it can’t be easy to accept a human…”

The pack leader sighed a bit. “I wish I could say you’re wrong, but... it’s definitely gonna cause some issues. I’m honestly not sure how we’re gonna get away with it… Nekoma will probably side with us, but I’m not sure about the others. Humans are forbidden in the forest.” Daichi’s eyes trailed back to Suga before looking at Asahi again. “Well anyways, we’ll deal with it. Whatever comes.” He put a hand on Asahi’s shoulder and squeezed. “Welcome to the pack, Asahi.”

XXXX

With the pack settled down for the night, soft conversation filled the air. Everyone had settled into the same positions they’d had earlier, not bothering to spread out towards the entrance in case the winds came in again, so quiet tones carried just fine.

Suga’s suggestion for water games had been a big hit, so the most energetic members were blessedly quiet as they’d already conked out. Among the conscious there was Suga, Daichi, Asahi, Iwaizumi and Tsuki.

“So… tomorrow we head home.” Suga spoke softly.

“You know you can’t all stay…” Daichi sounded almost regretful. “It’s gonna be hard enough having Kageyama and Asahi staying. No amount of our clothes and foods will change the fact that they’re humans.”

Suga reached out to put a kind hand on Daichi’s chest.

“We understand. I didn’t mean to sound unhappy.” He assured him gently. “It’s just… well, I’ve enjoyed my time here. I’ll be sad to leave, knowing I can’t come back.”

“It’s for the best,” Tsuki spoke up. “You humans don’t belong here.” His voice was sour, but they all knew his opinions had swayed a little with the help of the dark haired human beside him.

“It’s for the best for us as well,” Iwaizumi said. “We still have a village to think of. Not to mention having to explain to Kageyama’s mother that not only is her son never coming home, but that neither is Asahi. The village is gonna be in an uproar.”

“You can say that again,” Suga sighed. “Oh well. At least we know none of our hunters are dumb enough to try and charge the forest. Not after what happened with the foxes in Kalmino Forest.”

Daichi tensed suddenly, sucking in a breath.

“What happened? Can you tell me the story?”

Suga was confused by the sudden tension but nodded a bit, rolling over to face Daichi.

“It was just over 14 years ago now. One of the village children, Kageyama actually, wandered into the Kalmino Forest to the east of our village. When his mother noticed him gone, they were frantic. I was only 7, but I remember seeing his parents searching frantically. Then suddenly, Kageyama was there again, at the edge of the forest. He had a scraped knee, but he didn’t seem upset. He just kept talking about a lady who’d saved him. Ukai senior was still the representative back then, and he said it must’ve been a werefox vixen. He said maybe she had cubs of her own and that’s why she saved him. Anyways, some of the hunters didn’t heed what he said and charged into the forest. Six went in and only 2 came out, reporting they’d killed a male werefox.” Suga scowled at that part. “Ukai was furious. After that, the hunting of were-creatures was strictly forbidden.” He said. “I think about that vixen sometimes… I wonder if she’s okay… and if she really did have cubs…”

Suga had been so wrapped up in telling the story he hadn’t noticed Daichi had gone still, like he was holding his breath.

“She did have cubs. Two of them.” He said after a moment of tense silence. “After her mate was killed, she fled the forest and came here.” He looked at Suga in the dim light of the cave, and then cast his eyes over to a certain orange haired kid, once again sprawled over Kageyama. “Hinata is the only survivor of that family.”

Suga felt like all the air rushed out of him at once, tears gathering in his eyes.

“Oh my god…” Asahi’s horrified whisper summed it up and Suga could only nod as tears streaked down his cheeks.

“…My father is one of the ones who never made it out,” Iwaizumi said softly. “It won’t mean anything now, but for what it’s worth, I’m sorry for his actions.”

Daichi didn’t like seeing the pain in Suga’s eyes and put a soothing hand on the healers shoulder.

“You don’t need to apologize,” he said to Iwaizumi. “I would never hold against you –or anyone for that matter- the actions of their father.”

Asahi hugged Noya a little closer, the little wolverine playing little spoon, and took comfort in his lover.

“If it helps, just know that even after everything that happened… well, Hinata says his mother never hated you humans.”

“How could she not?” Suga asked tearfully. “We killed her mate and drove her out of her home…”

Daichi scooted closer and pulled Suga tighter against himself, running a hand along Suga’s side and guiding the human’s face to under his neck the same way he would with his pack mates. Suga pressed closer and cried for the tiny werefox behind him with a smile that could rival the sun.

XXXXXXXX

Instead of waking up to the morning sun, or even his internal clock, Daichi woke to the sound of paws thundering on the stone leading up to his packs den. The fact that he heard them at all over the roar of the rain that was still pouring down meant whoever was coming, was coming fast.

Daichi leapt to his feet and called to his pack loudly, ordering them all to their feet. The humans and youngest members were immediately ushered to the back –confused and a little scared- as the pack took up stance in the mouth of the cave.

The footfalls slowed and came to a stop at the entrance, revealing a black panther with silvery marking around his face.

“Lev! What is the meaning of this!?” Daichi demanded, even as the tension leaked from his pack. Not all of it though. Lev was the fastest runner in Nekoma, so for him to be here in the middle of the storm without permission could only mean something was wrong. The panther changed shape into a lanky man with silver hair who towered over them all, minus Tsuki.

“Daichi! I’m sorry for crossing the border and bursting in, but we need your help! A cub got lost in the storm and we need your noses!!”

The pack leader took in the information and quickly formed a plan.

“Tanaka, Tsuki, Nishinoya! You three will accompany me to Nekoma’s territory to look for the cub. Ennoshita, you’re in charge while I’m gone!”

Everyone took their orders eagerly, the members chosen for the job changing shape and moving to the entrance where Lev also shifted again.

“Daichi! Weather like this is dangerous! Watch out for the river, because with this much rain it can swell and overflow!” Suga called. Daichi looked at him and nodded before he also shifted and just like that, they took off, leaving the remaining pack members and humans behind to huddle in the cave and worry.

XXXXX

“I hope they’re okay….” Asahi fretted, biting his lower lip anxiously. If he had to guess, he’d say it had been just about an hour since Daichi and the others had left for Nekoma’s territory to help search for the missing cub.

“I’m sure they’re just fine, Asahi,” Suga soothed, going to his friend and putting a comforting hand on his shoulder. “I know you’re worried about Noya, but the skies are starting to clear up. They should be back in no time.”

Hinata rushed to the edge of the cave to check, and sure enough there were a few breaks in the clouds, and the rain had gotten less aggressive.

“Suga’s right! The storm looks like its passing!”

There were a few cheers from inside the cave, Kageyama joining Hinata to look outside.

“Get back in here, you two!” Suga scolded. They both turned on their heels to heed his order when Hinata stopped dead, head tipping to the side and his shoulders turning to the entrance again.

“Hina-“

“Shhh!” Hinata held up a hand to shush Kageyama who’d called out. “Do you hear that…?”

“Of course I don’t, dumba—“

“It’s the cub!!!” Hinata changed shape and tore off suddenly, racing down the cliff and across the den clearing before Kageyama could even finish his sentence. Kageyama, Ennoshita, Asahi and Suga were close on his heels, though only Ennoshita, who’d shifted forms, was able to keep up properly, yelling to Narita to watch the pack as he chased the orangette.

“Hinata! What did you hear?!” Ennoshita yelled as he caught up to Hinata.

“I hear a-“

A high pitched cry, like a cub in distress sounded nearby.

“That!”

Hinata and Ennoshita rushed towards the sound.

“We’re gonna lose them!” Asahi said in a panic.

“No, we’re not.” The humans looked over to see Iwaizumi, carrying his hunting pack. “Yamaguchi and I are two of the best trackers in the village.” He reminded them as he was sliding the pack onto his shoulders and hurrying past them. “Let’s go!”

XX

“There!!!” Hinata cried out and came to a stop when he finally spotted the cub. She’d climbed up into a tree for safety while her pack searched for her, but she was in even more danger now. The tree had originally been along the riverside but the river had risen with the storm.

“Oh no…” Ennoshita looked down at the angry, frothing waters below the branch the poor girl was on. The winds from the storm were rocking the whole tree and the cub was losing strength.

“Stay there! Don’t move, okay?!” Hinata yelled across the river to her as he started searching frantically for a way across.

Ennoshita threw his head back and howled loudly, calling for Daichi and praying they’d hurry.

XX

“Wait! That’s Ennoshita!” Daichi called them all to a stop as a howl floated to them on the wind.

Tanaka perked up when he heard his mate.

“They must’ve found the cub! Let’s go!”

XX

Iwaizumi, Asahi, Suga and Kageyama stepped out into the river clearing just as Hinata jumped from the shore of the river, to a rock in the middle of raging waters, ignoring Ennoshita who’d been trying to stop him.

“Hinata you dumbass! What are you doing?!” Kageyama yelled, running to the edge of the river.

The little fox looked over at Kageyama and then at the tree, directing the humans blue eyes to the tiny cub.

Kageyama cursed under his breath and turned to Iwaizumi who was already rummaging through his pack.

Asahi and Suga were talking urgently about solutions, worried about the cub who was getting more and more tired by the minute.

Iwaizumi pulled out a rope and Kageyama rushed over to him. There were no words needed as Iwaizumi started to loop the rope around the younger man’s upper torso like a rough sort of harness.

“Asahi! Suga!” He called to his friends and they hurried over. Asahi took the other end of the rope and went to a nearby tree, tying it around the trunk securely as Suga and Iwaizumi took up the slack, ready to pull Kageyama back to the shore once he had the cub.

Kageyama was about to head over to where Hinata was when the cub’s strength gave out. Hinata leaped from his rock, soaring through the air and managing to shift mid-air, just in time to wrap his arms protectively around the cub. He turned in the air so the cub was on top as they both plummeted into the water below.

**“HINATA!!!”**

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've had this written since right after the last update but i couldn't be assed to edit it.... Hope it's not horrible. Thanks for reading!


	12. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The pack races against time and angry waters to rescue their beloved fox and the kit with him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry this took so long... again. I've already got the next chapter ready though, so expect another update with a week or so! Thanks for sticking around!

Iwaizumi, Asahi, Suga and Kageyama stepped out into the river clearing just as Hinata jumped from the shore of the river, to a rock in the middle of raging waters, ignoring Ennoshita who’d been trying to stop him.  
“Hinata you dumbass! What are you doing?!” Kageyama yelled, running to the edge of the river.  
The little fox looked over at Kageyama and then at the tree, directing the humans blue eyes to the tiny cub.  
Kageyama cursed under his breath and turned to Iwaizumi who was already rummaging through his pack.  
Asahi and Suga were talking urgently about solutions, worried about the cub who was getting more and more tired by the minute.  
Iwaizumi pulled out a rope and Kageyama rushed over to him. There were no words needed as Iwaizumi started to loop the rope around the younger man’s upper torso like a rough sort of harness.  
“Asahi! Suga!” He called to his friends and they hurried over. Asahi took the other end of the rope and went to a nearby tree, tying it around the trunk securely as Suga and Iwaizumi took up the slack, ready to pull Kageyama back to the shore once he had the cub.  
Kageyama was about to head over to where Hinata was when the cub’s strength gave out. Hinata leaped from his rock, soaring through the air and managing to shift mid-air, just in time to wrap his arms protectively around the cub. He turned in the air so the cub was on top as they both plummeted into the water below.  
“HINATA!!!”

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Daichi, Tanaka, Noya and Tsukki were running fast and hard towards where they’d heard Ennoshita’s call. They were accompanied by Kuroo, Lev, and Yaku from the Nekoma clan. They were getting close when they heard Kageyama’s voice ring out in horror, calling for their fox kit.

They broke through the trees a moment later to find the humans standing at the shore, eyes wide even as Asahi worked to untie a long rope from where it was wrapped around the tree, Kageyama on the other end. Daichi immediately shifted forms.

“Suga! What’s happened?!”

“Daichi! The kit! It fell into the water and Hinata jumped after it!” Suga was quick to answer, eyes wide and fearful. Iwaizumi hurried over to them, looking the calmest of them all even though there was still fear in his eyes.

“Ennoshita took off, he said he’s gonna follow them along shore,” he reported quickly, pointing in the direction the shifter had taken off in. 

Tanaka growled and tore off in the same direction, anxiously tracking his mate. 

“Lev, go with him!” Kuroo ordered and the lanky panther wasted no time in pursuing the wolf. Daichi turned to the humans, who looked upset and scared. Kageyama just looked angry and Daichi thought that if it weren’t for the rope, he’d have been running along the river as well.

“Listen, you four-”

“We’re not going back to the den,” Suga interrupted, shaking his head. “I know we’re only human, but we care about Hinata too. Let us help.”

“I second that,” Asahi said as he came over, holding the other end of the rope. “We have the rope, in case they spot them again in the water.”

Daichi looked at the humans and the stubborn set of their faces before sighing. “Alright, but stay with me,” he conceded.

Kuroo and Yaku had shifted after Tanaka and Lev took off and were talking fast, trying to figure out the fastest and most effective way to locate and rescue the fox and their missing kit. Before they could get too far, a great horned owl swooped down from above, shifting a few feet from the ground to land as a man.

“Heard you could use some eyes from above,” the man said, spikey white and black hair making him seem taller. He put an arm out as a big brown and black owl swooped down and landed on it.

“Bokuto!” Kuroo looked a little relieved to see the newcomer. “Hinata and our kit are in the river,” Kuroo explained quickly, pointing to the water. “Lev and Tanaka are tracking Ennoshita, who’s trying to follow Hinata and the kit from the shore.”

“Say no more,” the brown and black owl took off again and the great horned owl followed. 

“Alright, let’s get going.” Daichi looked around at everyone gathered. “Kuroo, we’ll likely cross other territories, so we must be prepared.”

“Aoba Johsai may be pretentious jerks, but they won’t hold this against us. The river is unpredictable.” 

“Agreed,” Daichi nodded and they started off down the river after sending Yaku back to help watch the Karasuno pack who’s small numbers were even less now with several members out searching.

The humans were quiet as they walked, trying to keep up a steady pace since their very presence would slow down the shifters.

Kageyama was especially quiet, his expression clouded as his mind replayed the recent events again and again. He remembered coming out of the trees to see Hinata out on the rock in the middle of the river. He remembered the worry that had filled him, pooling in his gut like a 20 pound weight. The human could still picture the blur of orange when the fox had jumped and the way he’d shifted mid air. He remembered the fear that had gripped his limbs as he watched the orangette plummet towards the water, the kit in his arms. 

There was a moment where everything seemed to stand still and he swore he could see the apology in those big brown eyes before they disappeared beneath the waves.

\----

Burning. His lungs were burning. He could feel the water pulling him from every direction, tossing him about so fast it was impossible to get his bearings. The few gasps of breath he’d been able to steal were inconsequential in the grand scheme of things, and he’d already swallowed nearly his body weight in water. 

Hinata had no idea which way was up or down anymore. He didn’t know where he was, or how far the river had taken them. The only thing he knew was that the kit was still in his arms and he’d barely managed to make sure she got more air than he did. 

When his back collided with something, it knocked his precious stolen breath right out of him and he cried out. But luck shone down on him finally when one flailing arm managed to catch onto something, his instincts taking over and grabbing on before his brain had even caught on. He cried out again when their combined weight yanked on his arm, but he held tight. It was a root, by the looks of it, and he tightened his hand as much as could as he heaved for breath. 

A shrill call from overhead had him looking up. A familiar brown and black owl was diving down towards them, a great horned owl right behind him. Relief flooded through Hinata as he managed to lift the tiny kit up as high as he could. 

The brown owl swooped in and it’s large talons caught the kit, scooping it right out of his hand. He barely registered the great horned owl landing on the root beside his hand, feeling only a moment of happiness knowing the kit was safe, before his strength gave out. 

The horned owl shrieking at him was the last thing he heard before he was plunged under water again. 

\----

Akaashi heard his mate’s shriek and his heart ached to know Hinata had not been saved, but he didn’t stop in his flight back to the others, the kit held securely in his talons.

He called out to the group below as he spotted them, swooping down. 

“Akaashi!” Daichi called when he saw him. 

“Look! It’s the kit!!” Suga pointed and then immediately put his hands up, letting the owl deposit the precious cargo before he shifted and landed right in front of him.

“Where’s Hinata?! Is he okay? Did you find him?” Kageyama was upon the black haired man immediately, getting up close. Iwaizumi pulled the other human back a step, giving Akaashi space even as they all gathered around.

Suga listened closely for the answer even as he and Asahi worked quickly to wrap a spare blanket around the kit that they retrieved from Iwaizumi’s bag.

“He handed me the kit, but he fell back in before Bokuto could grab him.” Akaashi reported solemnly and the group was somber once more.

“Thank you for rescuing the kit. We’ll get him back to his people if you want to go back to your mate.” Daichi put a hand on Akasshi’s shoulder as he spoke and the man nodded gratefully. 

“Thank you,” he said to the Karasuno Alpha before he shifted and flew off, eager to be with Bokuto again. They’d have better luck with two sets of eyes. Not to mention they’d have a higher chance of hauling the fox out of the water in human form if they worked together.

\---

Bokuto was devastated when Hinata disappeared in the waves again. The fox had used the last of his strength to hand over the kit and now all Bokuto could do was follow overhead, watching anxiously as the orange head appeared and disappeared. 

He’d tried to swoop down a few times, hoping to help somehow, but he knew he wouldn’t be enough. Even if Akaashi were here, lifting Hinata would not be easy. It may not even be possible at all, but they’d be able to at least drag him towards shore with any luck. 

The great horned owl got another chance though, when the little orange haired shifter slammed into a wide, flat rock in the center of the river. It was a hard hit, but Bokuto used that split second to swoop down and grab Hinata’s wrist in his talons and tug. He knew he was tearing the poor kid’s skin, but it couldn’t be helped.

Hinata cried out, his body weak and tired, but he managed to summon barely enough strength to try and pull himself up onto the rock with help from the owl.

Bokuto quickly made sure he would have footing before he shifted and hauled the orangette up by both wrists, falling back on his butt with Hinata ending up in his lap. With the smaller male safely out of the water, Bokuto turned the boy face down to beat on his back, helping the fox cough out copious amounts of water in between gasping lungfuls of air. 

“Hinata, you’ve gotta shift! I can’t carry you like this!” Bokuto said, shaking the boy a little when he realized the other was starting to lose consciousness. All he got was a weak whimper before Hinata passed out, slumping across Bokuto’s thighs. 

They sat there like that for an unknown amount of time before a familiar call overhead had Bokuto looking up, relieved to see his mate swooping down. 

“Akaashi!” 

The other owl shifted and landed beside them. “Is he okay,” Akaashi asked, looking over the orangette frantically. 

“He coughed up some water and passed out,” Bokuto reported. “He seems to be breathing fine though.”

Akaashi nodded in understanding as he looked over the boy. 

“Lev, Ennoshita and Tanaka should be catching up soon. I saw them on my way.”

“Oh good. We’ll have better luck with more numbers.”

“Yeah, but that’s the least of our problems right now. This is Aoba Johsai territory.” Akaashi said, voice solemn. “While I don’t think we’ll get in trouble given the circumstances, we should be prepared anyway.”

“You’re right,” Bokuto nodded. “I was so busy trying to keep track of Hinata I didn’t even realize I’d crossed the border.”

“Hey!! Owls!!” Lev’s loud voice came from the shore and they looked down the river more to see the lanky man in human form and waving at them frantically from a tall rock that stuck out a little over the edge of the river.

Bokuto and Akaashi both waved back as Ennoshita and Tanaka came out as well, both in wolf form. 

“There’s an open shore just ahead,” Akaashi called, pointing a little further down the river past the rock. “It’s closer to us, so go there!”

“Okay!” Lev nodded and shifted again, the three disappearing back into the trees. 

“Akaashi, he’s freezing,” Bokuto was running his hands along the smaller body, trying to generate heat.

Akaashi turned his attention to Hinata, who’d curled up. He reached down and helped situate the orangette so he was leaning more against Bokuto’s body so the bigger male could wrap around him.

“We’ll just have to try and warm him up as best we can while we try to figure out how to get across.” The black haired man said, turning his body to try and help block the light breeze that no doubt felt like torture on the wet boy.

“Hey!”

The mates looked over when the three pursuers reappeared, this time on the closer shore. They all shifted to communicate.

“Hinata’s unconscious! We can’t get him to shift and we can’t carry him like this!” Bokuto called across to them. 

“Dammit!” Tanaka roared, worried for his packmate. Ennoshita put his hand on Tanaka’s shoulder, already wracking his brain for a solution to the problem. 

Before any answers could be found, the trees erupted with coyote’s. Five coyote’s, to be precise. They came out snarling, hackles raised and teeth bared.

The three shifters on shore immediately held their hands up in an offering of peace. 

“We mean no harm! We are not here for your territory or resources.” Ennoshita’s voice was calm and reasonable as he spoke. “Please shift, so we may explain.” 

The snarling stopped, but the coyote’s stayed in their defensive stances before one stepped forward, shifting. 

“Go on then, wolf. Explain.” 

Ennoshita recognized him as Issei Matsukawa, and was a little relieved. Matsukawa was pretty reasonable from what he remembered.

“Our pack mate got swept down river while saving one of Nekoma’s kits,” he explained, moving aside and pointing to the rock. Bokuto and Akaashi both waved in response.

“Isn’t that Bokuto, of the Fukurodani clan?” Matsukawa asked, studying the scene.

“Yes. Him and his mate, Akaashi, helped us by following our cubs progress through the river. They managed to haul him up onto that rock, but they’re not strong enough to risk trying to carry him over. He passed out before he could shift.”

Matsukawa looked at them all, then back at the trio in the middle of the river, before nodding. “I understand. I’m sorry to hear that this happened. I’ll send word back to our alpha and we’ll do what we can to help.”

“We appreciate it,” Ennoshita bowed politely and it was returned by Matsukawa as two coyote’s took off, heading back to deliver the message. 

Tanaka looked back out over the water, frowning. 

“Anything yet, Bokuto,” he called and the owl shook his head. 

Ennoshita took Tanaka’s hand and squeezed. With nothing to do but wait, silence fell over the group. 

Thankfully, it didn’t take too long before the coyote’s from earlier appeared, a third with them now. The two each had blankets secured to their backs.

“I heard you had a pack mate swept into our territory by the river.” It was the pack’s captain, Oikawa Tooru, who shifted. “We brought some clothes and blankets,” he explained as he took the mentioned items from the backs of his pack mates. Akaashi was quick to shift and fly over, scooping the items out of the shifters hands when he held them up.

“Thank you very much!” Ennoshita bowed.

Oikawa waved off the thanks. “How did your cub end up in the quick water? And why is there a panther with you?”

“One of our kits was missing in the storm,” Lev stepped forward to explain. “We asked Karasuno for help, since canine’s have sharper noses. Hinata, the cub out in the river, found her first.”

Ennoshita nodded. “I was with him when we found her. The kit fell into the water before we could get to her, but Hinata jumped to catch her and they both got swept away. Akaashi was able to retrieve the kit, but unfortunately Hinata’s human form is too large to be carried and he was swept away before he could shift.”

“I see,” Oikawa nodded in understanding. Storms posed a risk to everyone in their forest, as did the river's quick waters. He could hardly begrudge the other packs for their hardships. “I don’t know how much help we can offer. No one in our pack has ever gotten to that rock before.”

The others sighed, Tanaka just looking angry at being so helpless. 

“Well.. let’s at least try and brainstorm,” Ennoshita offered, and there were nods all around.

\----

15 minutes later, they were all still brainstorming when the sounds of approaching footsteps caught their attention. Tanaka lifted his nose to scent the air at the same time Oikawa did.

“It’s some of our packmates,” he announced, but he couldn’t help but feel worried when he smelled the humans as well. 

“Oh! They should have rope!” Ennoshita hopped to his feet. “I’ll go meet with them and explain on the way,” he said before shifting and running off. When he returned, it was with Noya and Kageyama in tow. The human looked flushed and frantic as he ran right to the shore, ignoring everything else.

“Hinata!!!” Kageyama yelled, seeing the orange haired bundle the two owls were protecting. He still had the rope harness on and was carrying the rest of the rope over one arm. 

The rest of their little group showed up a second later, minus Suga and Asahi who’d gone back to the den with the kit, escorted by Tsukki.

The coyote’s were shocked to see a human in their forest, especially when a second appeared.

Iwaizumi ran over to the shore, paying no mind to the others who were gathered there. 

He didn’t see Oikawa Tooru, wide eyed and watching him and Kageyama.

“Hey, can you get the rope,” he called out to one of the owls. “If you guys can pull it, you can pull Kageyama right out to you!”

“Got it!” Bokuto called back as Akaashi shifted. The brown and black owl retrieved the other end of the rope and flew it back out to the rock. 

“Wait, take me! I can help!” Noya waved before shifting and running to the edge of the water. Akaashi flew back and grabbed him too, carrying him across to the rock. Once the rope was tied securely around Noya’s hips and held by both Bokuto and Akaashi, Kageyama jumped in. 

It was immediately a battle against the current as it tried to sweep Kageyama away. It was only the men on the rock that stopped him from being swallowed by the waves. There was about thirty seconds of frantic pulling before Kageyama reached the rock and they were able to haul him up.

“Hinata!!” Kageyama dropped down next to the fox, panting heavily, pushing his wet hair out of his face. 

“He got slammed against the rock pretty badly. We need to get him back to your den,” Bokuto said, already helping Akaashi as they stripped Hinata, wanting him to have dry clothes on the other side. Once that was done, they lifted the smaller male up to Kageyama’s chest. Kageyama leaned back, putting his arms under Hinata’s legs as they started to tie them together. 

“Okay, that should be enough,” Noya said after they’d successfully secured the smaller man to Kageyama’s chest. “Bokuto, Akaashi, please fly me and the rope back to the other side.”

The two owls did just that, along with the clothes and pelts, and soon it was only the human and the fox on the rock. 

Everyone on the shore quickly grabbed part of the rope.

“Okay, on three!”

“One…”

“Two…”

“Three!!” 

Kageyama jumped off the rock on three, curling his body around the fox protectively. With so many people pulling, it was only seconds before both the human and Hinata were being pulled to shore. Everyone worked quickly to untie them and get Hinata covered back up. Kageyama was soaking wet too, but he brushed off any concerns. 

Everyone gathered around, frantic to check on their cub. Noya shifted forms and climbed up to tuck against the cubs chest, offering his body heat. Tanaka was quick to do the same, curling around the shivering orangette’s small form. 

Iwaizumi let out a breath of relief. They weren’t out of the water yet, figuratively speaking, but it was a start. 

The black haired man froze, his eyes widening when something else caught his attention. Or rather, someone else. They called out to him, and even before he turned his head, he knew what he’d see. Knew, even though it should’ve been impossible.

“Iwa-chan…” 

\-------------------


	13. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hinata is out of the water, but an unexpected face sends the humans into turmoil.

_ Everyone gathered around, frantic to check on their cub. Noya shifted forms and climbed up to tuck against the cubs chest, offering his body heat. Tanaka was quick to do the same, curling around the shivering orangette’s small form.  _

_ Iwaizumi let out a breath of relief. They weren’t out of the water yet, figuratively speaking, but it was a start.  _

_ The black haired man froze, his eyes widening when something else caught his attention. Or rather, someone else. They called out to him, and even before he turned his head, he knew what he’d see. Knew, even though it should’ve been impossible. _

_ “Iwa-chan…”  _

\-----------------

Iwaizumi’s heart was in his throat, his body lead as he turned his head slowly. So slowly. When he found who he was looking for, it felt like his body was gonna give out. It took three tries to get his mouth to cooperate.

“Oikawa…” his voice sounded… not like him. It sounded shocked and sort of hollow. 

Kageyama looked up in shock, eyes wide. He couldn’t have just heard what he thought he did… He looked over to where Iwaizumi was standing frozen and followed his line of sight. 

There was silence on the open shore as everyone watched the interactions, looking between the human and the coyote alpha. 

“You…” It was Kageyama who spoke, and Oikawa glanced over at him only briefly before looking back at Iwaizumi. “You’re supposed to be dead,” Kageyama finished his thought. There was a noise of confusion from some of the Karasuno pack.

“You bastard,” Iwaizumi finally spoke, his voice shaking just a little. He looked angry.

“Iwa-chan-”

Before anyone could do anything, shock planting their feet to the ground, Iwaizumi had closed the distance between himself and Oikawa. There were sounds of shock as the human punched Oikawa clean across the jaw.

Two of the coyotes acted quickly, restraining the human as Karasuno moved in to intercept.

“Enough!!” Oikawa’s voice cut over the chaos of protests and growls, and everyone stopped. The coyotes kept a hold of Iwaizumi as Oikawa slowly picked himself up from the ground, dusting off his ass.

“You bastard!” Iwaizumi roared, tugging at his arms. Oikawa motioned for his packmates to release the human, which they did reluctantly.

Iwaizumi shook them off and took a threatening step towards Oikawa, who barely resisted the urge to step back.

“You’re supposed to be dead,” Iwaizumi spoke, pointing at the brunette accusingly. “You… _I_ _mourned you.”_ The human's voice cracked and a single tear slid down his cheek. “I’ve spent _years_ mourning you, and all this time…”

Oikawa looked like he may just cry as well. “I know… I know, and I’m so, so sorry Iwa-cha-”

“Don’t call me that,” Iwaizumi snapped and Oikawa flinched. The alpha bowed his head, shoulders rounded and hands clenched at his sides. “What happened? How are you still alive? I saw the wounds… No human could’ve--” Iwaizumi cut himself off, eyes widening.

“You’re right, Iwaizumi. No human could’ve survived those wounds.” Oikawa looked up at the black haired male, knowing the clever man was putting the pieces together. “I can though, because I’m not human. I never was.”

Iwaizumi stared at Oikawa in silence for a little longer before turning to Daichi.

“Let’s get Hinata back.”

Daichi looked surprised and opened his mouth to say something, but Iwaizumi spoke again.

“Hinata is the priority. I’m not wasting his precious time on a dead friend.” Iwaizumi’s voice was hard and Oikawa barely swallowed back a whimper in time to clear his throat. 

“We’ll escort you guys to the edge of our territory.” Oikawa offered. Daichi offered him his thanks and then there was only minimal discussion as everyone got ready to go. Lev was chosen to carry the orangette and they worked together to tie him in place on the panther's back. 

“Alright, let’s head out,” Daichi ordered and the group began their trekk. Daichi, Oikawa and Bokuto were the only ones to stay in human form, the rest shifting to scout ahead as well as keep their ears open for trouble. 

The hike was silent, save for the sounds of nature and shuffling feet. Oikawa glanced at Iwaizumi frequently as they walked. Several times it looked like he would say something, but Iwaizumi’s cold silence stopped him every time. 

Kageyama noticed of course, and he honestly wasn’t sure what to think. In their village, Iwaizumi and Oikawa had been a matching set. Glued at the hips. If you found one of them, it was only natural that the other was nearby, so when Iwaizumi came back from a hunt one day, covered in blood and alone…

Kageyama was younger, but he still knew what it meant. He remembered the wide eyes on their usually unshakable hunter. He remembered the way the older boy's voice broke as he explained what happened. That Oikawa, one of their most promising hunters, and his best friend, had been attacked by an ordinary bear. 

The wounds were grievous, evidenced by the blood that coated Iwaizumi’s skin. He’d tried to save him… tried to slow the bleeding. When he realized that he couldn’t, the young hunter had resolved, at least, to bring home a body. But the bear was still rampaging. Two other hunters were wounded after it tore into Oikawa and Iwaizumi watched in horror as Oikawa got up one last time. 

A distraction. The dying man had created one final distraction to allow the rest of their party to escape.

Kageyama was brought back to the present when Oikawa finally tried to speak.

“Please, Iwa-”

“Don’t.” Iwaizumi’s voice was dead, and it was the same tone he’d used when he first returned from that hunt all those years ago. It was the same tone he’d had for weeks after.

Oikawa’s lower lip trembled, but he stayed quiet, and that's how they finished the trekk to the border of Aoba Johsai’s territory.

“Would you guys like to-”

“Don’t you dare invite them to the den,” Iwaizumi spoke over Daichi. “We don’t have time to cater to guests when Hinata needs our full attention.”

“Are you sure, Iwaizumi? I’m sure there’s things you’d like to discuss…” Daichi looked at the human, concern evident in his voice and on his face.

“I don’t make a habit of speaking to ghosts, Daichi. The man I mourned is gone. Has been for years.”

There was a moment of heaviness in the air before Daichi nodded with a small sigh. 

“Very well. Thank you for your help. The Karasuno Clan will not forget your kindness, Aoba Johsai.” Daichi bowed and Oikawa bowed back.

“Best of luck with your cub, Karasuno.” Oikawa’s voice was shaky.

Iwaizumi was the first to walk away.

\-------

Once they were back at the den, taking care of Hinata and getting him warmed up by the fire took precedence. The events earlier were pushed aside in favour of getting the orangette settled by the fire that the pack members who’d been left behind had going.

“Hinata!” Suga rushed forward as soon as the group appeared and fussed as the small shifter was lifted from Lev’s back. Kageyama opened his arms to take the fox, but Daichi shook his head.    
  
“You need to get out of those clothes,” he said, gesturing to Kageyama. Suga turned to look at the other and gasped. “Kageyama, you’re gonna end up freezing!”

“I’m fine, the sun is coming out,” he argued, but then relented when Suga gave him The Look™. “Alright fine,” he huffed and ran into the cave, changing quickly. In the meantime, Asahi took Hinata and wrapped him up in his arms, easily holding the much smaller male. 

“Is he gonna be okay?” Noya asked nervously, hovering over his lover’s shoulder. 

“He’ll be alright,” Suga assured him, reaching into the blanket bundle to feel Hinata’s forehead. “If he was human, he probably would’ve died before you were able to get him out, but you shifters are a hardy bunch. I think he’ll pull through just fine.”

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, having all gathered around. 

“Where is the kit and Yaku?” Kuroo finally asked, looking at Suga.

“The kit is with Yaku, who took her back to your clan,” the human explained and Kuroo nodded. 

“Kuroo!” A new voice spoke up and Kenma appeared from the bushes, shifting into human form. He hurried over to his mate who scooped him up in a big hug. 

“Hey,” Kuroo purred and nuzzled his mate lightly. “I’m alright, and so is Hinata,” he assured, turning a little to let Kenma see the bundled up pup. 

“I’m relieved,” he murmured softly. 

“We can handle things from here now, Kuroo. You can go home and take care of your clan.” Daichi smiled kindly at the panthers.

Kuroo nodded and set Kenma back down before bowing low. “My people are in your debt, Karasuno.”

Daichi bowed back. “Let us hope we never have need to collect.”

Kuroo nodded and the men shook hands. 

“Hey hey hey! What about me!?” Bokuto waved his arms angrily, but it was mostly for show. Kuroo turned and stuck his tongue out at the owl who screeched and tackled the other, leaving Akaashi and Kenma to roll their eyes.

The lighthearted play was enough to brighten the mood and everyone shared a laugh or a smile as they all bid their goodbyes.

Bokuto and Kuroo bickered the whole way out of the clearing and no doubt continued even after they changed shapes.

“I swear, those two never change,” Ennoshita said, chuckling. 

“I’m glad though,” Noya added and there were nods all around. 

“Hey guys,” Asahi pulled everyone’s attention to him. He was carefully shifting Hinata over to Kageyama, who happily received the precious bundle. “Did something else happen while you guys were gone? Iwaizumi went straight to the cave and hasn’t come out yet…”

Suga frowned and looked around, realizing that Asahi was right. 

“Actually, that’s what we would like to know,” Daichi said. “There was… well, I'm not sure exactly what happened, but Iwaizumi seemed to recognize Aoba Johsai’s alpha.” The leader frowned as he remembered the events earlier. 

“That’s because we know him,” Kageyama said, making Asahi, Yamaguchi and Suga frown and look at him. “Or at least we  _ knew  _ him. Oikawa Tooru.”

The three humans gasped, eyes going wide. 

“You mean…  _ the  _ Oikawa Tooru?” Yamaguchi was the first to speak, and Kageyama nodded. 

“I saw him with my own eyes,” the black haired man said, holding Hinata a little tighter. “I… he looked fine.  _ Alive. _ ” Kageyama loosened his grip a little to rub a hand up and down along the orangette’s back. “He told us he was never human… that he’d always been a shifter.”

Silence permeated the group for a while. 

“It makes sense, really.” 

Everyone turned to look at Iwaizumi, who’d come down. His face was set in a stoney expression. “Oikawa was always annoyingly good at everything. Stronger, faster… he could find prey in the woods more easily.” Iwaizumi scowled. “We all thought he was some sort of genius, when in reality, he was lying to us the whole time.”

“I can’t believe it...” Asahi said, looking saddened. Suga went over and put a comforting hand on Iwaizumi’s shoulder, but it was shrugged off. 

“I’m sorry, Iwaizumi. What happened with Oikawa… it affected you the most. I can’t even begin to imagine how you’re feeling right now.” 

“I’m fine.” It was a blatant lie, but no one called him on it. “I’m gonna go out to hunt,” he declared, bringing attention to the fact that he’d come down with his hunting gear on. 

“Alright, but please take a pack member with you.” 

Iwaizumi nodded and looked at Narita, who happily agreed. The two headed out, leaving the rest of the pack to figure out what to do next. They didn’t have to think for too long, however, as Hinata started to wake.

“Hinata,” Kageyama called, getting everyone’s attention. The orangette shifted a little before waking with a mighty gasp. There was a moment of blind struggle as Hinata’s brain tried to catch up with everything that happened. “Hinata, it’s me! You’re safe, you’re out of the water!” Kageyama spoke loudly and it made the smaller male pause.

“Kageyama…?” There was a little sniffle and the human nodded. 

“Yeah, it’s me dumbass. Everyone else is here too.” The brunette pulled the blanket aside a little to allow Hinata to see everyone else. 

“Hey buddy,” Noya and Tanaka were first in line, pressing close. “You gave us a good scare there,” Tanaka said.

“Yeah! Who gave you permission to go swimming without us, huh?!” Noya’s comment made Hinata laugh and the others laughed as well. Once they’d all had a chance to look over the cub in their own ways, Suga came up. 

“Bokuto said you got tossed around pretty good, and there are cuts on your arm from his talons. I’d like to have a look, if that’s okay.”

“Oh… okay.” Hinata nodded. He could feel the stiffness and soreness in his body now that he was more awake. Suga and Kageyama gently unwrapped the fox, making him wince. 

Suga checked his wrist first and was relieved to find that the cuts weren’t too deep. The shifter’s natural healing had already reduced them significantly. Next, he started to look over the boy's body, seeing bruising along his back and arms. 

“I think maybe you were unconscious because your body was focused on healing. I imagine you’re sore right now, but you seem in pretty good shape. I’d give it a day or two before you’re recovered.”

“Two whole days?!” Hinata whined dramatically and there were scoffs, laughs and several eyerolls from all around. 

“Hey, don’t complain about two days, dumbass! You could’ve been dead!!” Kageyama snapped, and Hinata looked up at the human, still sitting against his chest.

“Were you….  _ Worried  _ about me Kageyama?”

“What? NO! I just… it’s…” Kageyama faltered, mouth opening and closing as he tried to cover his slip up. “JUST SHUT UP, DUMBASS HINATA!” 

“Don’t yell in my ear, stupid Kageyama!!” 

Tsukki rolled his eyes in exasperation as the two immediately began to bicker. 

“If only the brat had washed a little further down river…” He sighed wistfully and Yamaguchi giggled. 

“You say that, but I saw how worried you were, Tsukki~” The human teased lightly.

“Shut up, Yamaguchi.”

“Sorry, Tsukki~”

“Well… All’s well that ends well, right?” Suga looked at Daichi as he spoke, smiling. Daichi smiled back and nodded. 

“Thank you for taking care of the kit while we went after Hinata. And for looking over Hinata.”

“You don’t need to thank me, Daichi. It’s the least I can do since, y’know, you guys didn’t kill us on sight or anything.” Suga laughed a little to show that he was teasing. Well, mostly.

Daichi eyed Suga for a moment before he chuckled. 

“Yeah… I’m afraid we may have some trouble brewing though, now that three other clans know you’re here. Nekoma and Fukurodani are close allies, but Aoba Johsai… I fear they may spread word of your guys’ presence in the forest.”

Suga looked at the alpha, who looked uncharacteristically serious and bit his lip. 

Just what on earth had they gotten themselves into?

\------------------- ------------------ 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! I hope to start posting more frequently, but I can't make any promises. Bear with me please!

**Author's Note:**

> Decided to cross post this to AO3 since it did fairly well on FF. I've just picked this story up again for the first time since 2017. Thank you for reading!! Please drop a Kudos and a review if you enjoyed!


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